I 

. 

. 

, 

THAIS 

• 
' 

» 

ANATOLE  FRANCE 


. 


LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 

PRESENTED  BY 
M|SS  PEARL  CHASE 


( 


THAIS 


BY    THE    SAME    TRANSLATOR 


BERENICE.  Privately  printed. 
ROMAN  PRIVATE  LIFE.  Ditto. 
THE  C^SARS.  Ditto. 


THAIS 


THE  LOTUS  LIBRARY 

Foolscap  8vo,  top  edge  gilt,  with  bookmark. 
Leather,  $1.00  net. 


Sidonie's  Revenge.   By  A.  DAUDET.  \ 

Zyte.      By  HECTOR  MALOT. 

The  Dream.      By  EMILE  ZOLA.  In  Preparation. 

The  Poison  Dealer.    By  G.  OHNET.  i 

Sevastopol.     By  LEO  TOLSTOY 

The  Woman  of  Mystery.      By  GEORGES  OHNET. 

The   Disaster.      By  PAUL  and  VICTOR  MARGUERITTE. 

The  Diamond  Necklace.     By  F.  FUNCK-BRENTANO. 

Cagliostro  8?  Co.     By  FRANZ  FUNCK-BRENTANO. 

Count  Bruhl.      By  JOSEPH  K.RASZEWSKI. 

The  Latin  Quarter.       By   HENRY  MURGKR. 

Salammbo.       By  GUSTAVE  FLAUBERT. 

Thais.      By  ANATOLE  FRANCE. 

The  Nabob.       By  ALPHONSE  DAUDET. 

Drink.       By  ZOLA. 

Madame  Bovary.      By  GUSTAVE  FLAUBERT. 

The  Black  Tulip.      By  ALEXANDRE  DUMAS. 

Sapho.       By  ALPHONSE  DAUDET. 

A  Woman's   Soul.       By   Guv   DE   MAUPASSANT. 

La  Faustin.       By  EDMOND  DE  GONCOURT. 

A  Modern  Man's  Confession.  By  ALFRED  oiMussn . 

The  Matapan  Jewels.     By   FORTUNE  DU   BOISGOBEY. 

Vathek.       By  WILLIAM   BECKFORD. 

Romance  of  a  Harem.     Translated  from  the  French 

by  C.  FORESTIER-WALKER. 
Woman   and  Puppet.       By  PIERRE  Louyg. 
The  Blackmailers.       By  EMILE  GABORIAU. 
The  Mummy's  Romance.     By  THEOPHILE  GAUTIER. 
The  Blue  Duchess.      By  PAUL  BOURGET. 
A  Woman's  Heart.       By  PAUL  BOURGET. 
A  Good-natured  Fellow.      By  PAUL  DE  K.OCH. 
Andre  Cornells.       By  PAUL  BOURGET. 
The  Rival  Actresses.      By  GEORGES  OHNET. 
Our  Lady  of  Lies.     By  PAUL  BOURGET. 
Their  Majesties  the  Kings.      By  JULES  LEMAITRE. 
Mademoiselle  de  Maupin.     By  THEOPHILE  GAUTIER. 
In  Deep  Abyss.      By  GEORGES  OHNET. 
The  Popinjay.       By  ALPHONSE  DAUDET. 
The  Temptation  of  Saint  Anthony.  By  G.  FLAI.-BERT. 
Captain  Fracasse.     By  THEOPHILE  GAUTIER. 
He  and  She.     By  PAUL  DE  MUSSET. 
A  Passion  of  the  South.     By  ALPHONSE  DAUDET. 


ANATOLE  FRANCE 


Translated   by 

ERNEST   TRISTAN 


BRENTANO'S 

NKW    YORK 

ran 


BeOicatcD  to 
ISIDORE    DE    LARA 

WITH    HOMAGE 


London,  1902 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


PREFACE.  By  G.  F.  MONKSHOOD                               ix 

BOOK        I.  THE  LOTUS                                            i 

BOOK      II.  THE  PAPYRUS     ....       65 

BOOK    III.  THE  EUPHORBIUM  .        .        .185 


A   NOTE    UPON    "THAIS" 

When  Anatole  France  gave  his  "  Thais " 
to   the   light,  even   the   sex -worn   brain   of 
Paris  received  a  new  sensation.      It  was 
a    really  great    re  -  conquest    of  antiquity. 
Now,   among  the  most   difficult   things   to 
excavate  from    the    ancient   world    stand 
thought  and  speech.       It    is    the  pedantic 
fool  who  disinters  the  domestic  utensils  of 
a  dead  world  and  flourishes  them  in  your 
face.       Anatole   France   has   restored,  re- 
created, some  wonderful  thought  and  speech, 
and  we   should  be  grateful  for  the  pas- 
sionate and  persuasive  prose   in   which  he 
tells    the     life     of    'Thais,     the     immoral 
immortal,    and  the    love  -  distraught  priest 
Paphnutius,   who  for    her    sake    left    his 
knee  -  worn    altar  -  stones    and   cursed    the 
God   that  made  him  and  the   Christ  that 
died  for  him.      To  clearly  understand  what 
ix 


x  THAIS 

a  feat  the  success  of  "  Thau  "  was,  one 
has  to  remember  that  in  Paris  M.  Anatole 
France  had,  and  still  has,  many  rivals. 
Pierre  Loiiys,  Prosper  Castanier,  ILugene 
Morand,  there  are  three  men  assuredly 
who  could  write  a  "  Thais"  and,  of  course, 
criticise  one.  But  the  work  stood,  and  will 
still  stand,  criticism.  It  may  be  used  as 
a  "  canon  of  proportions  "  for  those  who 
follow  after,  as  an  Alexander  of  ILysippus 
would  be  used  by  sculptors.  But  now  to 
speak  of  the  book  itself  a  little  more 
intimately.  The  sheer  technical  difficulty 
of  re-creating  with  a  pen  the  period  of 
Paphnutius,  will,  perhaps,  only  be  per- 
ceived by  absolute  masters  in  classical 
literary  work  such  as  Saltus,  Mackail, 
Loiiys,  and  others  who  ever  hold  before 
them  the  traditions  of  great  prose.  But 
such  difficulty,  in  this  particular  case, 
was  a  serious  one,  for  of  the  Christian 
and  Pagan  literature  of  that  second  cen- 
tury hardly  a  complete  authentic  work 
has  survived.  It  was  a  century  of 


A    NOTE    UPON   THAIS  xi 

heresy  and  of  a  fourfold  gospel,  although, 
curiously  enough,  vigorous  Christian  churches 
existed  at  Corinth  and  Athens.  At  the 
symposia  of  these  two  cities  Christianity 
was  discussed  as  a  new  fashion  in  thought 
and  speech.  'The  pall  of  its  manifold 
enigmce  and  persecutions  was  to  descend 
upon  patient  humanity  a  little  later.  As 
imaginer,  and  narrator,  Anatole  France 
reached  in  "  Thais "  the  highest  point  be 
has  yet  touched.  We  have  ventured  to 
term  it  a  great  re-conquest  of  antiquity. 
It  is  much  more.  In  it  a  word-wizard 
pictures  cities,  palaces,  philosophers,  actors, 
courtezans,  and  naked  vine  -  wreathed 
corybantes  dancing,  full  of  life,  to  drones 
and  shrieks  of  the  syrinx,  sullen  clank  of 
brass,  and  the  murmur  of  harps  beneath 
a  golden  plectrum.  The  feast  is  described, 
the  Desert  also.  The  horrors  of  the  The- 
baid  are  once  more  written,  and  then  the 
death  of  Tha'is  and  the  conversion  thereby 
of  Paphnutius  into  a  maddened  blasphemer 
and  heresiarch,  —  longing  once  more  for 


xii  THAIS 

carnal  love.,  earthly  joy  and  tragedy,  and 
the  mirror-kiss  of  Maya.  The  passages 
commencing  and  culminating  in  the  heart- 
cry  "  Thais  is  about  to  die"  are  among 
the  most  poignant,  impassioned,  and  musical 
in  all  literature.  One  feels,  while  reading, 
that  in  Paphnutius  "  all  the  woes  of  the 
land  of  Egypt  were  gathered  up." 

It  is  an  exceedingly  beautiful  book.  Its 
author  has  unbarred  the  ivory  gate  of 
dream  and  offered  to  an  age  of  deed  one 

\*j  o         «y 

more  great  love -drama  worthy  of  pictures 
by  Poynter,  of  music  by  De  Lara.  Of 
course,  our  hearts  are  dead  within  us, 
but  not  petrified,  and  they  quicken  into 
life  at  such  a  passion  as  is  here  unveiled. 
Perhaps  in  the  multi-coloured  nights  of 
other  worlds  fas  a  prose  laureate  saidj 
some  of  us  may  again  love  as  Paphnutius 
loved.  Recently  a  savant  discovered  the 
body  of  Thais,  at  Antinoe.  M.  Anatole 
France  has  done  more  :  he  has  made  her 

speak. 

G.  F.  MONKSHOOD. 


I 

THE    LOTUS 


THE    LOTUS 

IN  those  days  the  desert  was  peopled  with 
anchorites.  Upon  each  bank  of  the  Nile 
numerous  huts,  built  of  branches  and  clay  by 
hermits,  were  scattered  at  various  distances 
apart,  in  such  a  way  that  those  who  dwelt  in 
them  could  live  in  isolation,  and  yet  assist 
each  other  in  time  of  need.  Churches,  sur- 
mounted by  a  cross,  rose  up  here  and  there 
high  above  the  huts,  and  the  monks  assembled 
in  them  on  feast  days  to  assist  in  celebrat- 
ing the  Mysteries  and  to  participate  in  the 
Sacraments.  There  were,  too,  right  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  houses  in  which  the  Ceno- 
bites,  each  of  whom  was  confined  to  his  narrow 
cell,  united  solely  in  order  to  better  preserve 
their  solitude. 

The  Anchorites  and  Cenobites  lived  ab- 
stemiously ;  eating  nothing  until  after  sunset, 
and  then  only  taking  bread  with  a  little  salt 
and  hyssop.  Some  buried  themselves  in  the 
sand,  making  their  home  in  a  cavern  or  tomb, 
and  leading  a  still  more  singular  existence. 
3 


4  THAIS 

They  all  wore  a  hood  and  robe,  slept  upon 
the  bare  earth  after  long  vigils,  prayed,  sang 
psalms,  and  every  day  performed  masterpieces 
of  penitence.  In  consideration  of  original  sin, 
they  denied  their  bodies  not  only  pleasure  and 
gratification,  but  even  that  attention  which  to- 
day is  considered  indispensable.  They  con- 
sidered that  physical  maladies  made  the  soul 
more  healthy,  and  that  the  flesh  could  receive 
no  more  glorious  adornments  than  ulcers  and 
sores.  Thus  were  fulfilled  the  words  of  the 
prophets,  who  said :  "  The  deserts  shall  be 
covered  with  flowers." 

Some  of  the  guests  of  this  holy  Thebaid 
spent  their  time  in  asceticism  and  contempla- 
tion, while  others  earned  their  living  by  plaiting 
palm  fibres,  or  hired  themselves  to  neighbouring 
farmers  during  harvest.  The  Gentiles  falsely 
suspected  some  of  living  by  robbery  and  of 
joining  the  wandering  Arabs,  who  pillaged 
caravans  ;  but  in  truth  these  monks  despised 
riches  and  the  scent  of  their  virtues  went  up 
to  heaven. 

Angels,  in  appearance  like  young  men,  came 
staff  in  hand  as  travellers  to  visit  the  hermit- 
ages, whilst  demons,  assuming  the  shapes  of 
Ethiopians  or  animals,  wandered  around  the 


THE    LOTUS  5 

hermits  to  tempt  them.  When,  in  the  morning, 
the  monks  went  to  fill  their  pitchers  at  the 
fountain,  they  saw  the  footprints  of  Satyrs  in 
the  sand.  Considered  in  its  true  and  spiritual 
aspect,  the  Thebaid  was  a  battlefield  on  which, 
at  all  hours  and  particularly  during  the  night, 
wonderful  combats  between  heaven  and  hell 
were  fought. 

The  ascetics,  being  furiously  assailed  by 
legions  of  the  damned,  defended  themselves, 
with  the  aid  of  God  and  the  angels,  with 
weapons  of  fasting,  penitence  and  maceration. 
Sometimes  the  spur  of  carnal  desires  wounded 
them  so  cruelly  that  they  groaned  with  pain, 
their  moans  being  similar  to  the  howls  of 
famished  hyaenas.  Then  it  was  that  the 
demons  appeared  to  them  in  forms  of  beauty  ; 
for  though  demons  are  in  reality  ugly,  they 
sometimes  assume  an  outward  beauty  in  order 
to  veil  their  inner  nature.  The  ascetics  of 
the  Thebaid  saw  with  terror  in  their  cells 
pictures  of  pleasure,  unknown  even  to  the 
voluptuous  of  that  century ;  but,  as  the  sign 
of  the  Cross  was  upon  them,  they  did  not 
succumb  to  temptation,  and  the  evil  spirits, 
assuming  their  own  shapes,  fled  away  at  dawn 
shameful  and  raging.  It  was  not  uncommon 


6  THAIS 

to  meet  one  of  them  at  daybreak  fleeing  in 
tears,  and,  when  asked,  replying :  "  I  am  weep- 
ing and  groaning  because  one  of  the  Christians 
who  dwell  here  has  beaten  me  with  rods,  and 
has  ignominiously  driven  me  away." 

The  old  men  of  the  desert  understood 
their  power  over  sinners.  Their  goodness 
was  sometimes  terrible.  They  possessed  from 
the  Apostles  the  power  of  punishing  offences 
against  the  true  God,  and  nothing  could  save 
those  whom  they  condemned.  In  the  towns, 
and  as  far  as  Alexandria,  people  whispered 
in  terror  that  the  earth  opened  to  swallow 
up  those  sinners  who  were  struck  by  the  rods 
of  these  old  men.  For  this  reason  they  were 
greatly  feared  by  all  who  lived  a  vicious  life, 
and  particularly  by  pantomimes,  buffoons, 
married  priests  and  courtesans. 

So  great  was  the  virtue  of  these  good  men 
that  even  wild  beasts  submitted  to  their 
authority,  and  when  a  hermit  was  on  the 
point  of  death  a  lion  came  to  him  to  dig  his 
grave  with  its  claws.  The  holy  man,  knowing 
by  this  event  that  God  would  shortly  call 
him  hence,  embraced  all  his  brethren,  and 
then  lay  down  cheerfully  to  sleep  in  the  Lord. 

Now  since  Anthony,  who  was  more  than  a 


THE    LOTUS  7 

hundred  years  old,  had  retired  to  Mount  Colzin 
with  his  beloved  disciples  Macairus  and 
Amathus,  there  was  no  monk  in  all  the 
Thebaid  more  abounding  in  good  works 
than  Paphnutius,  priest  of  Antinoe.  Ephrem 
and  Serapion,  to  be  sure,  commanded  a  larger 
number  of  monks,  and  were  renowned  for 
the  spiritual  and  temporal  conduct  of  their 
monasteries.  But  Paphnutius  observed  the 
most  rigorous  fasts,  and  sometimes  remained 
three  whole  days  without  nourishment.  He 
wore  a  robe  of  rough  hair,  whipped  himself 
morning  and  evening,  and  often  prostrated 
himself  upon  his  face. 

His  twenty  -  four  disciples,  after  building 
their  huts  near  his,  imitated  his  austerities. 
He  loved  them  dearly  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
ceaselessly  exhorted  them  to  penitence. 
Among  his  spiritual  sons  were  men  who, 
after  being  brigands  for  many  years,  were 
so  touched  by  the  exhortations  of  the  holy 
abbot  that  they  had  embraced  the  monastic 
life.  The  purity  of  their  lives  elevated  their 
companions.  Among  them  was  the  cook  of 
the  Queen  of  Abyssinia,  who,  after  being  con- 
verted by  the  holy  abbot,  shed  tears  without 
ceasing,  and  also  the  deacon  Flavian,  who 


8  THAIS 

was  a  man  of  learning  and  a  skilful  orator. 
But  the  most  admirable  of  the  disciples  of 
Paphnutius  was  a  young  peasant  named  Paul, 
who  was  called  the  Simple  on  account  of  his 
extreme  innocence.  Men  laughed  at  his 
candour ;  but  God  favoured  him  by  sending 
him  visions,  and  by  granting  him  the  gift  of 
prophecy. 

Paphnutius  sanctified  his  hours  by  instructing 
his  disciples,  and  by  the  practice  of  asceticism. 
He,  too,  often  meditated  upon  the  sacred  books 
to  discover  allegories  in  them,  for  which  reason 
though  still  young  he  had  many  virtues.  The 
devils  who  made  such  vigorous  assaults  upon 
the  holy  anchorites  dared  not  approach  him. 
At  night  seven  little  jackals  sat  listening  before 
his  hut  in  silence  :  it  was  said  that  they  were 
seven  demons  whom  he  retained  at  his  door 
by  virtue  of  his  sanctity. 

Paphnutius  was  born  at  Alexandria  of  a 
noble  family,  and  had  been  carefully  instructed 
in  profane  literature.  He  had  even  been 
seduced  by  the  lies  of  the  poets,  and,  in  his 
early  youth,  such  were  the  errors  of  his  mind 
and  the  disorder  of  his  thoughts,  that  he 
believed  the  human  race  had  been  drowned 
by  the  deluge  of  Deucalion,  and  disputed  with 


THE    LOTUS  9 

his  fellow-pupils  as  to  the  nature,  attributes, 
and  even  the  existence  of  God.  In  those  days 
he  lived  a  life  of  dissipation,  this  being  the 
fashion  among  the  Gentiles,  and  now  recalled 
the  past  with  shame  for  his  own  confusion. 
At  that  time  he  used  to  tell  his  brethren  that 
he  boiled  in  the  cauldron  of  false  delight,  by 
which  he  meant  that  he  ate  viands  skilfully 
served  and  frequented  public  baths.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  up  to  his  twentieth  year  he  had 
led  the  life  of  the  century  —  which  should 
rather  be  called  death  than  life  —  but  after 
receiving  instruction  from  the  priest  Macrinus 
he  became  a  new  man. 

The  truth  took  entire  possession  of  him,  and 
he  used  to  say  that  it  had  entered  into  him 
like  a  sword.  He  embraced  the  faith  of 
Calvary  and  adored  the  crucified  Christ.  After 
his  baptism  he  remained  for  another  year 
among  the  Gentiles,  bound  by  the  chains  of 
habit.  But  upon  entering  a  church  one  day 
he  heard  a  deacon  read  this  verse  of  Scripture  : 
"If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  and  sell  that  thou 
hast  and  give  to  the  poor."  He  at  once  sold 
his  property,  distributed  the  proceeds  in  charity, 
and  entered  upon  a  monastic  life. 

During   the   ten  years  which   he  had    spent 


io  THAIS 

in  solitude,  he  had  not  boiled  in  the  cauldron 
of  carnal  delights,  but  had  anointed  himself 
with  profit  in  the  balm  of  penitence. 

One  day  when,  according  to  his  pious 
custom,  he  was .  recalling  the  hours  which  he 
had  spent  far  from  God,  and  was  examining 
his  faults  one  by  one  in  order  to  exactly 
understand  their  enormity,  he  remembered 
having  seen  years  before  at  the  theatre  of 
Alexandria  an  actress  of  great  beauty  named 
Thai's.  This  woman  took  part  in  the  games 
and  was  not  ashamed  to  join  in  skilful  dances, 
the  movements  of  which  recalled  the  most 
terrible  passions.  Or  else  she  enacted  some 
of  the  scenes  of  shame  which  the  Pagan  fables 
attribute  to  Venus,  Leda,  or  Pasiphae.  Thus 
she  inflamed  all  the  spectators  with  the  fire  of 
luxury  ;  and  when  fine  young  men  or  rich  old 
men,  full  of  love,  came  and  hung  garlands  of 
flowers  at  her  door,  she  received  them  kindly. 
So  that,  in  destroying  her  own  soul,  she 
also  destroyed  a  number  of  others. 

Paphnutius,  too,  had  been  one  of  her 
admirers.  She  had  aroused  the  fever  of  de- 
sire in  his  veins,  and  on  one  occasion  he 
had  approached  her  house ;  but  he  halted  at 
the  door,  stayed  by  the  natural  timidity  of 


THE    LOTUS  ii 

extreme  youth  (he  was  only  fifteen)  and  by  the 
fear  of  being  expelled.  God  in  his  pity  had 
taken  these  means  of  saving  him  from  a  great 
crime.  At  that  time,  however,  Paphnutius 
did  not  recognise  this,  because  he  could  not 
then  discern  between  his  real  interests  and 
his  false  desires.  Then,  kneeling  in  his  hut 
before  the  image  of  that  saving  wood,  from 
which  the  ransom  of  the  world  was  suspended 
as  in  a  balance,  Paphnutius  began  to  think 
of  Thai's,  because  she  was  his  sin,  and  he 
meditated  long  according  to  the  rules  of 
asceticism  upon  the  fearful  horror  of  carnal 
delights,  the  taste  for  which  this  woman  had 
inspired  in  him  in  the  days  of  trouble  and 
ignorance.  After  some  hours  of  meditation 
the  image  of  Thai's  appeared  to  him  with 
extreme  clearness.  He  saw  her  again,  beauti- 
ful in  the  flesh  as  she  was  at  the  time  of 
his  temptation.  She  appeared  first  as  Leda, 
lying  on  a  bed  of  hyacinth,  head  thrown 
back,  eyes  humid  and  full  of  light,  nostrils 
quivering,  mouth  half  open,  full  round  breasts, 
and  arms  fresh  as  running  streams.  At  this 
vision  Paphnutius  beat  his  breast,  and  said  : 
"  My  God,  I  call  Thee  to  witness  that  I  per- 
ceive the  grossness  of  my  sin  !  " 


12  THAIS 

Her  image  gradually  changed  in  expression. 
As  the  corners  of  her  mouth  drooped,  the 
lips  of  Thai's  slowly  revealed  mysterious  suffer- 
ing. Her  eyes  were  full  of  tears  and  light ; 
from  her  breast  the  breath  came  like  the 
first  gusts  of  the  storm.  Seeing  her  thus, 
Paphnutius  was  touched  to  the  quick,  and 
throwing  himself  upon  his  knees  he  offered 
up  this  prayer: — "  O  THOU,  who  hast  put 
pity  in  our  hearts,  as  the  morning  dew  on 
the  meadows,  O  Just  and  Pitiful  God,  be 
blessed  !  Praise  be  unto  Thee !  Take  away 
from  me  this  false  tenderness  which  leads  to 
desire,  and  by  thy  grace  cause  me  to  love 
thy  creatures  only  in  thyself,  for  they  pass 
away  and  thou  remainest.  If  I  am  grieved 
for  this  woman,  it  is  because  she  is  thy  handi- 
work. Even  the  angels  bend  towards  her 
in  solicitude.  Is  she  not,  O  Lord,  the  breath 
of  thy  mouth?  She  must  not  continue  sinning 
with  so  many  citizens  and  strangers.  A  great 
pity  for  her  has  arisen  in  my  heart.  Her  crimes 
are  abominable,  and  the  thought  of  them  alone 
makes  me  shudder  so  that  my  hair  stands  up 
in  affright.  But  the  greater  her  sin  the  more 
I  must  pity  her.  I  weep  at  the  thought  that 
devils  will  torment  her  through  all  eternity." 


THE    LOTUS  13 

As  he  meditated  thus  he  saw  a  little  jackal 
seated  at  his  feet :  this  greatly  surprised  him 
as  the  door  of  his  hut  had  been  shut  since 
the  morning.  The  animal  seemed  to  read 
the  priest's  thoughts  and  wagged  its  tail  like 
a  dog.  Paphnutius  crossed  himself:  the  beast 
disappeared.  Knowing  by  this  that  for  the 
first  time  the  devil  had  entered  his  hut,  he 
offered  up  a  short  prayer.  Then  he  thought 
again  of  Thais.  "  With  the  help  of  God," 
he  said  to  himself,  "  I  must  save  her."  Then 
he  slept. 

The  following  morning,  after  prayer,  he 
visited  the  holy  man  Palemon,  who  led  the 
life  of  a  hermit  a  short  distance  away,  and 
found  him  peaceful  and  smiling,  and  digging 
his  garden  as  was  his  custom.  Palemon  was 
an  old  man  and  had  a  small  garden :  wild 
beasts  came  and  licked  his  hands  and  the 
devils  did  not  torment  him. 

"  God  be  praised !  brother  Paphnutius," 
said  he,  resting  on  his  spade. 

"  God  be  praised ! "  replied  Paphnutius. 
"  And  peace  be  with  you,  brother ! " 

"  Peace  be  with  you  also !  brother  Paph- 
nutius," replied  Palemon,  as  he  wiped  the 
sweat  from  his  brow. 


H  THAIS 

"  Brother  Palemon,  the  sole  object  of  our 
conversation  should  be  the  praise  of  the  one 
who  has  promised  to  be  in  the  midst  of  those 
who  assemble  in  his  name.  That  is  the 
reason  I  come  to  talk  with  you  about  a  plan 
I  have  formed  to  glorify  the  Lord." 

"  May  the  Lord  bless  thy  plan,  Paphnutius, 
as  he  has  blessed  my  lettuce !  Every  morn- 
ing he  sheds  grace  upon  my  garden  with 
his  dew,  and  his  goodness  incites  me  to 
glorify  him  in  the  cucumbers  and  pumpkins 
which  he  gives  me.  Let  us  pray  him  to 
keep  us  in  his  peace,  for  nothing  is  more  to 
be  feared  than  the  disorderly  motions  which 
trouble  the  heart.  When  these  motions  dis- 
turb us  we  are  like  drunken  men,  and  we 
walk,  wavering  to  the  right  or  to  the  left, 
always  ready  to  fall  ignominiously.  Some- 
times these  transports  plunge  us  into  in- 
temperate joy,  and  the  man  who  abandons 
himself  is  the  cause  of  the  thick  laughter  of 
the  brutes  which  echoes  through  the  air. 
This  lamentable  joy  involves  the  sinner  in 
all  sorts  of  confusion.  But  sometimes,  too,  the 
troubles  of  the  soul  and  senses  bring  an 
unholy  sadness,  a  thousand  times  more  fatal 
than  joy.  Brother  Paphnutius,  I  am  only  a 


THE    LOTUS  15 

poor  sinner,  but  during  my  long  life  I  have 
discovered  that  the  Cenobite  has  no  worse 
enemy  than  sadness.  I  mean  by  that  the 
tenacious  melancholy  which  envelops  the  soul 
like  a  fog  and  conceals  the  light  of  God. 
Nothing  is  more  adverse  to  safety,  and  the 
devil's  greatest  triumph  is  to  plant  a  black 
and  bitter  disposition  in  the  heart  of  a  good 
man.  If  he  only  sent  joyous  temptations 
against  us  he  would  not  be  half  so  terrible. 
Alas !  he  excels  in  afflicting  us.  Did  he  not 
show  our  father  Anthony  a  black  child  so 
beautiful  that  it  made  him  weep?  With  the 
aid  of  God,  our  father  Anthony  avoided  the 
demon's  snares.  I  have  known  him  the  whole 
of  the  time  he  has  lived  among  us ;  he  re- 
joiced with  his  disciples  and  never  once 
became  melancholy.  But  have  you  not  come, 
brother,  to  talk  of  a  plan  which  you  have 
formed  ?  If  you  will  connect  me  with  it,  I 
shall  consider  it  a  favour,  as  its  object  is 
the  glorification  of  God." 

"  Brother  Palemon,  I  indeed  propose  to 
glorify  the  Lord.  Fortify  me  with  your 
counsel,  for  you  are  enlightened  and  sin 
has  never  obscured  the  clearness  of  your 
intellect." 


16  THAIS 

"  Brother  Paphnutius,  I  am  not  worthy  to 
untie  the  strap  of  your  sandal,  and  my 
iniquities  are  as  countless  as  the  sands  of  the 
desert.  But  I  am  old,  and  will  not  refuse 
you  the  aid  of  my  experience." 

"  I  will  confide  in  you  then,  Brother  Palemon, 
that  I  am  stricken  with  grief  at  the  thought 
that  there  is  in  Alexandria  a  courtesan,  named 
Thai's,  who  lives  in  sin  and  remains  an  object 
of  scandal  to  the  people." 

"  Brother  Paphnutius,  that  indeed  is  a  sad 
abomination.  Many  women  live  in  this 
manner  among  the  Gentiles.  Have  you 
thought  of  a  remedy  applicable  to  so  grave 
a  malady?" 

"  Brother  Palemon,  I  will  go  and  seek  this 
woman  in  Alexandria,  and,  with  God's  help, 
I  will  convert  her.  That  is  my  plan  ;  does  it 
not  meet  with  your  approval,  brother? 

"  Brother  Paphnutius,  I  am  nothing  but  a 
poor  sinner,  but  our  father  Anthony  used  to 
say :  '  Wheresoever  you  may  be,  haste  not 
to  leave  that  place  for  another.'" 

"  Do  you,  brother  Palemon,  see  anything 
evil  in  the  enterprise  which  I  have  conceived  ?  " 

"  Paphnutius,  God  keeps  me  from  suspecting 
my  brother's  intentions,  but  our  father  Anthony 


THE    LOTUS  17 

also  said  :    '  Fish,  which  are  put  upon  dry  land,' 
die :  in  the  same  way,  monks  who  leave    their 
cells  and  mix  with  the  world  deviate  from  their 
holy  purpose.' " 

After  saying  this,  Palemon  drove  his  spade 
into  the  earth  and  began  to  dig  up  the  soil 
around  a  fig-tree  laden  with  fruit :  while  he 
dug,  an  antelope  which  had  jumped  the  garden 
hedge,  stopped  surprised  and  restless,  and  then 
in  two  bounds  came  up  to  the  old  man  and  slid 
its  fine  head  into  his  bosom. 

"  God  be  praised  in  the  gazelle  of  the  desert," 
said  Palemon. 

He  then  went  into  his  hut,  followed  by  the 
graceful  animal,  and  procured  some  black  bread 
which  the  antelope  ate  out  of  his  hand. 

Paphnutius  remained  long  in  thought  with  his 
eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground.  Then  he  walked 
back  slowly  to  his  hut,  carefully  thinking  over 
what  he  had  just  heard. 

"  This  hermit,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  is  a  man 
of  great  experience  ;  the  spirit  of  prudence  is 
in  him.  He  doubts  the  wisdom  of  my  plan. 
However,  it  would  be  cruel  of  me  to  abandon 
Thais  any  longer  to  the  demon  which  possesses 
her.  May  God  guide  and  counsel  me !  " 

As  he  walked  along,  he  saw  a  plover  caught 
B 


i8  THAIS 

in  the  net  which  a  hunter  had  stretched  upon 
the  sand,  and  he  knew  it  was  a  female  bird, 
for  the  male  bird  came  flying  to  the  net  and 
broke  the  meshes  one  by  one  with  his  beak  till 
he  had  made  an  opening  large  enough  to  allow 
his  mate  to  escape.  The  man  of  God  contem- 
plated this  scene  and  as,  by  virtue  of  his 
sanctity,  he  easily  read  the  mystic  meaning 
of  events,  he  knew  that  the  captive  bird  was 
none  other  than  Thai's,  taken  in  the  lakes  of 
abomination,  and  that,  following  the  example 
of  the  plover  which  had  broken  the  meshes  with 
his  beak,  he  must  break  with  words  of  power 
the  invisible  bonds  that  bound  down  Thai's  in 
sin.  He  therefore  praised  God  and  was  con- 
firmed in  his  resolution.  But  when  he  saw  the 
plover  entangled  by  the  claws  in  the  net  which 
he  had  broken,  he  became  uncertain  once  more. 

He  did  not  sleep  all  night,  and  before  dawn 
had  a  vision.  Thais  appeared  to  him  again. 
Her  face  did  not  show  any  signs  of  guilty 
pleasure,  nor  was  she  clothed  as  usual  in  dia- 
phanous draperies.  A  shroud  enveloped  her 
entirely,  and  even  concealed  part  of  her  face, 
so  that  the  priest  could  only  see  two  eyes  filled 
with  great  white  tears. 

He,  too,  began    to   weep,  and  thinking   the 


THE    LOTUS  19 

vision  had  come  to  him  from  God  hesitated  no 
longer.  He  rose,  took  a  knotty  staff  (the  image 
of  the  Christian  faith),  left  his  hut,  carefully 
closing  the  door  so  that  the  birds  and  beasts  of 
the  desert  could  not  destroy  or  injure  the  book 
of  the  Scriptures  which  he  kept  at  the  head  of 
his  bed,  and  called  Flavian  the  deacon  to  entrust 
to  his  care  his  twenty-three  disciples.  Then, 
clad  simply  in  a  long  cloak,  he  made  his  way 
towards  the  Nile,  intending  to  follow  the  Lybian 
bank  to  the  city  founded  by  the  Macedonian. 
He  began  to  walk  over  the  sand  at  sunrise, 
despising  fatigue,  hunger  and  thirst,  and  the 
sun  was  almost  below  the  horizon  when  he  saw 
the  dreadful  river  rolling  its  blood  -  stained 
waters  between  rocks  of  gold  and  fire.  He 
walked  along  the  bank,  begging  bread  at  the 
doors  of  the  huts  isolated  for  the  love  of  God, 
and  cheerfully  received  abuse,  refusals  and 
threats.  He  feared  neither  brigands  nor  wild 
beasts,  but  took  good  care  to  turn  aside  from 
villages  and  towns  along  the  route.  He  was 
afraid  to  meet  children  playing  at  huckle-bones 
in  front  of  their  homes,  or  to  see  women  in  blue 
robes  put  down  their  pitchers  on  the  edge  of 
the  water  tanks.  Everything  is  dangerous  to 
the  hermit ;  sometimes  it  is  dangerous  for  him  to 


20  THAIS 

read  in  the  Scriptures  that  the  Divine  Master 
went  from  town  to  town  and  supped  with  his 
disciples.  The  virtues  which  the  Anchorites 
carefully  embroider  upon  the  tissue  of  their 
faith  are  as  fragile  as  they  are  magnificent :  a 
breath  from  the  world  will  tarnish  their  beautiful 
colours.  For  that  reason  Paphnutius  refrained 
from  entering  the  towns,  fearing  lest  his  heart 
might  soften  at  the  sight  of  men. 

He  travelled  along  the  bye-paths.  When 
evening  came,  the  murmur  of  the  tamarisks, 
caressed  by  the  breeze,  made  him  tremble  and 
pull  down  his  hood  over  his  eyes  to  shut  out 
Nature's  beauty.  After  six  days'  journeying  he 
reached  a  place  called  Silsile.  There  the  river 
flows  through  a  narrow  valley  bounded  on  each 
side  by  mountains  of  granite.  There  the 
Egyptians,  when  they  adored  demons,  carved 
their  idols.  Paphnutius  saw  an  enormous 
Sphinx's  head  still  standing  among  the  rocks. 
Fearing  it  might  be  animated  by  some  diabolical 
power,  he  made  the  sign  of  the  Cross  and  pro- 
nounced the  name  of  Jesus  ;  a  bat  immediately 
flew  out  from  one  of  the  Sphinx's  ears,  and 
Paphnutius  knew  that  he  had  driven  out  the 
evil  spirit  which  had  resided  there  for  many 
centuries.  His  zeal  increased,  and  seizing  a 


THE    LOTUS  21 

great  stone  he  hurled  it  at  the  idol's  face.  Then 
the  mysterious  visage  of  the  Sphinx  became  so 
sad  that  Paphnutius  was  moved  with  compas- 
sion. In  fact,  the  expression  of  superhuman 
grief  upon  this  face  of  stone  would  have  moved 
the  most  callous.  Therefore  Paphnutius  said 
to  the  Sphinx  : 

"  O  Beast,  confess  the  divinity  of  Christ 
Jesus,  and  I  will  bless  you  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost ! " 

As  he  spoke,  a  red  light  shone  from  the 
eyes  of  the  Sphinx  ;  the  beast's  heavy  eye- 
lids quivered  and  the  lips  of  granite  pain- 
fully articulated,  like  an  echo  of  the  human 
voice,  the  holy  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Then 
Paphnutius  stretched  forth  his  right  hand  and 
blessed  the  Sphinx  of  Silsile. 

He  at  once  resumed  his  journey,  and  as  the 
valley  opened  out  saw  the  ruins  of  a  mighty 
city.  The  temples  that  were  still  standing 
were  supported  by  idols  which  served  as 
columns,  and  with  God's  consent  all,  from 
women's  heads  to  animals'  horns,  fixed  upon 
Paphnutius  a  steadfast  gaze,  which  made  him 
pale.  He  walked  thus  seventeen  days,  eating 
herbs  only,  and  sleeping  at  night  in  the 
crumbling  palaces  among  the  wild  cats  and 


22  THAIS 

rats  of  the  Pharaohs,  with  which  mingled 
women  whose  bodies  ended  in  the  scales  of 
fish.  But  Paphnutius  knew  that  these  women 
came  from  hell,  and  he  drove  them  away  by 
making  the  sign  of  the  Cross. 

On  the  eighteenth  day,  he  discovered  a 
miserable  palm-leaf  hut,  far  away  from  any 
village,  and  buried  by  the  wind  in  the  sand 
of  the  desert,  and  approached  it  hoping  to 
find  it  inhabited  by  some  pious  anchorite. 
As  there  was  no  door  he  could  see  a  pitcher, 
a  heap  of  onions,  and  a  bed  of  dry  leaves 
inside. 

"That  is,"  he  said  to  himself,  "the  furni- 
ture of  an  ascetic.  Hermits,  as  a  rule,  do  not 
wander  far  from  their  huts.  I  shall  soon 
meet  this  man.  I  desire  to  give  him  the  kiss 
of  peace,  according  to  the  example  of  the 
holy  hermit  Anthony  who,  travelling  near 
the  abode  of  the  hermit  Paul,  embraced  him 
three  times.  We  will  talk  of  things  eternal, 
and  perhaps  our  Lord  will  send  us,  by  a 
raven,  bread  which  my  host  will  invite  me 
to  break  in  honour." 

While  he  thus  spoke  to  himself,  he  walked 
round  the  hut  seeking  the  hermit  He  had 
not  gone  a  hundred  yards  when  he  saw  a 


THE    LOTUS  23 

man  sitting  cross-legged  on  the  bank  of  the 
Nile.  The  man  was  naked  ;  his  hair  and 
beard  were  entirely  white,  and  his  body  was 
of  a  deep  red  colour.  Paphnutius  had  no 
doubt  that  he  was  the  hermit,  and  saluted 
him  with  the  monks'  usual  greeting : 

"  Peace  be  with  you,  brother !  may  you  one 
day  taste  the  sweet  joys  of  Paradise  !  " 

The  man  did  not  reply,  but  remained  motion- 
less and  appeared  not  to  hear.  Paphnutius 
imagined  that  his  silence  was  caused  by  one 
of  those  transports  saints  often  enjoy.  He 
knelt  with  clasped  hands  by  the  unknown's  side 
and  remained  thus  in  prayer  till  sunset.  Then, 
seeing  his  companion  had  not  moved,  he  said 
to  him  : 

"  Father,  if  you  have  recovered  from  the 
transport  in  which  I  have  seen  you,  give 
me  your  benediction  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ! " 

The  other  replied,  without  turning  his  head  : 
"  Stranger,  I  know  not  what  you  mean,  nor 
this  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

"  What !  "  cried  Paphnutius.  "  The  prophets 
have  foretold  him ;  legions  of  martyrs  have 
confessed  his  name ;  Caesar  himself  has  adored 
him,  and  but  a  short  time  ago  I  had  his  glory 


24  THAIS 

proclaimed  by  the  Sphinx  of  Silsile.  Is  it 
possible  that  you  know  him  not?" 

"  Friend,"  replied  the  other,  "  it  is  possible. 
It  would  even  be  certain  were  there  any  cer- 
tainty in  the  world." 

Paphnutius  was  surprised  and  grieved  at  this 
man's  incredible  ignorance. 

"  If  you  know  not  Jesus  Christ,"  he  said  to 
him,  "your  works  will  avail  you  nothing,  and 
you  will  not  gain  eternal  life." 

The  old  man  replied  : 

"  It  is  vain  to  act  or  to  refrain  ;  life  or  death 
is  indifferent  to  me." 

"  What !  "  asked  Paphnutius,  "  you  do  not 
desire  to  live  eternally?  But,  are  you  not 
dwelling  in  this  desert  in  a  hut  after  the 
manner  of  the  Anchorites?" 

"  It  would  appear  so." 

"  Are  you  not  naked  and  deprived  of  every- 
thing?" 

"  It  would  appear  so." 

"Do  you  not  live  on  roots  and  practisechastity?" 

"It  would  appear  so." 

"  Have  you  not  renounced  all  the  vanities  of 
this  world  ?  " 

"  In  truth,  I  have  renounced  those  vain  things 
which  are  usually  men's  care." 


THE    LOTUS  25 

"  So  you  are  as  I  am,  poor,  chaste,  and  a 
hermit.  But  you  are  not  as  I  am  in  the  love 
of  God  and  in  the  sight  of  celestial  felicity. 
Why  are  you  virtuous  if  you  do  not  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ?  Why  do  you  deprive  yourself 
of  this  world's  treasure  if  you  do  not  hope  for 
treasure  in  heaven  ?  " 

"Stranger,  I  deprive  myself  of  nothing,  and 
I  flatter  myself  that  I  have  found  a  manner  of 
life  satisfying  enough,  though,  to  be  exact,  it 
is  neither  a  good  nor  n.  bad  life.  Nothing  is 
in  itself  honourable  or  shameful,  just  or  unjust, 
agreeable  or  painful,  good  or  bad.  It  is  opinion 
which  gives  things  qualities,  as  salt  savours 
meats." 

"  Then,  in  your  opinion,  there  is  no  certainty. 
You  deny  the  truth  which  idolaters  themselves 
have  sought.  You  lie  in  ignorance,  like  a  tired 
dog  sleeping  in  the  mire." 

"  It  is  as  useless  to  revile  philosophers  as  to 
revile  dogs.  We  do  not  know  what  a  dog  is, 
nor  do  we  know  what  we  ourselves  are.  We 
know  nothing." 

"  Old  man,  do  you  then  belong  to  that  ridicu- 
lous sect  called  Sceptics?  Are  you  then  one 
of  those  miserable  fools  who  deny  both  move- 
ment and  repose,  and  know  not  how  to  dis- 


26  THAIS 

tinguish  the  light  of  the  sun  from  the  shades 
of  the  night  ?  " 

"  My  friend,  I  am  indeed  a  sceptic,  and  belong 
to  a  sect  which,  though  it  seems  ridiculous  to 
you,  appears  good  to  me.  For  the  same  things 
have  diverse  appearances.  The  Pyramids  of 
Memphis  are  at  sunrise  cones  of  rosy  light :  at 
sunset  they  appear  like  black  triangles  in  a 
flaming  sky.  But  who  will  penetrate  their  in- 
most substance?  You  reproach  me  with  deny- 
ing appearances,  when,  in  fact,  appearances  are 
the  sole  realities  which  I  recognise.  The  sun 
appears  to  me  luminous,  but  its  nature  is  un- 
known to  me.  I  feel  that  fire  burns,  but  know 
not  how  or  why.  My  friend,  you  think  very  ill 
of  me  ;  but  thoughts  make  no  difference." 

"  Why  do  you  live  upon  dates  and  onions  in 
the  desert?  Why  do  you  endure  great  priva- 
tions ?  I  endure  as  great  and  like  you  practise 
abstinence  in  solitude ;  but  I  do  it  to  please 
God  and  to  merit  eternal  beatitude.  That  is 
a  reasonable  aim,  for  it  is  wise  to  suffer  with  a 
view  to  a  great  reward.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
is  madness  to  expose  oneself  willingly  to  useless 
fatigue  and  vain  suffering.  If  I  did  not  believe 
— pardon  this  blasphemy,  O,  uncreated  Light ! 
— if  I  did  not  believe  in  the  truth  of  God's 


THE    LOTUS  27 

teaching  by  the  voices  of  his  prophets,  by  the 
example  of  his  Son,  by  the  acts  of  the  apostles, 
by  the  authority  of  councils,  and  by  the  witness 
of  martyrs ;  if  I  did  not  know  that  bodily 
suffering  was  necessary  for  the  health  of  the 
soul,  if  I  were  as  you,  steeped  in  ignorance  of 
the  sacred  mysteries,  I  should  immediately 
return  to  the  world,  should  set  myself  to  obtain 
wealth  and  to  live  in  luxury,  and  should  say 
to  the  children  of  pleasure :  "  Come,  my 
daughters,  come,  my  servants,  come  all  and 
pour  out  your  wines,  philtres  and  perfumes 
before  me."  But  you,  foolish  man,  deprive 
yourself  of  all  comforts  ;  you  lose  without  gain- 
ing anything  ;  you  give  without  hope  of  return, 
and  imitate  in  ridicule  the  admirable  works  of 
our  Anchorites,  just  as  an  impudent  monkey 
thinks  that  by  daubing  a  wall  he  is  copying 
the  picture  of  a  clever  painter.  O,  most  stupid 
of  men,  what  then  are  your  reasons  ?  " 

Paphnutius  said  this  with  great  vehemence. 
But  the  old  man  remained  quiet,  and  said 
gently : 

"  Friend,  what  matter  the  reasons  of  a  dog 
sleeping  in  the  mire  and  a  mischievous 
monkey?" 

Paphnutius's   sole    object   was    the   glory   of 


28  THAIS 

God.  His  anger  was  gone  ;  he  accused  himself 
with  noble  humility. 

"  Forgive  me,  my  brother,"  said  he,  "  if  zeal 
for  the  truth  has  carried  me  beyond  the  proper 
bounds.  God  is  my  witness  that  it  is  your 
error  and  not  your  person  that  I  hate.  It 
pains  me  to  see  you  in  darkness,  for  I  love 
you  in  Jesus  Christ  and  my  heart  is  filled 
with  care  for  your  salvation.  Speak,  give  me 
your  reasons :  I  am  burning  to  know  them  in 
order  that  I  may  refute  them." 

The  old  man  gently  replied  : 

"  I  am  as  much  inclined  to  speech  as  to 
silence.  I  will  give  you  my  reasons  without 
asking  yours  in  return,  for  you  do  not  interest 
me  in  any  way.  I  have  no  thought  for  your 
happiness  or  misfortune,  and  your  views  are 
of  the  utmost  indifference  to  me.  How  should 
I  love  or  hate  you  ?  Aversion  and  sympathy 
are  equally  unworthy  of  the  sage.  But,  since 
you  ask  me,  my  name  is  Timocles,  and  I  was 
born  at  Cos,  of  parents  who  acquired  wealth 
in  business.  My  father  armed  ships.  His  in- 
telligence bore  a  great  resemblance  to  that  of 
Alexander  the  Great.  He  was,  however,  less 
dense.  In  short,  his  was  a  man's  poor  nature. 
I  had  two  brothers,  who  became  armourers  like 


THE    LOTUS  29 

him.  But  I  turned  my  attention  to  the  arts. 
Now  my  eldest  brother  was  forced  by  our 
father  to  marry  a  Corian  woman  named 
Timaessa,  who  was  so  distasteful  to  him  that 
he  could  not  live  with  her  without  becoming 
melancholy.  Timaessa,  however,  inspired  in  my 
youngest  brother  a  criminal  love  which  soon 
became  a  furious  mania.  The  Corian  hated 
them  both.  She  loved  a  flute-player,  and 
received  him  at  night.  One  morning  he  left 
behind  the  crown  he  wore  at  feasts,  upon 
finding  which  my  two  brothers  swore  to  kill 
him,  and  on  the  morrow  he  was  killed  by  the 
lash,  in  spite  of  his  tears  and  prayers.  My 
sister-in-law  lost  her  reason  through  despair, 
and  these  three  wretches  became  like  wild 
beasts,  wandering  in  their  madness  about  Cos, 
howling  like  wolves,  foaming  at  the  mouth 
their  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground,  amid  the 
shouts  of  the  children  who  threw  shells  at 
them.  They  died,  and  my  father  buried  them. 
Shortly  after,  his  stomach  refused  all  nourish- 
ment and  he  died  of  hunger,  though  wealthy 
enough  to  buy  all  the  food  and  fruit  in  all 
the  marts  of  Asia.  He  was  grieved  at  leaving 
me  his  fortune.  I  spent  it  in  travel.  I  visited 
Italy,  Greece,  and  Africa  without  meeting 


30  THAIS 

anyone  wise  or  happy.  I  studied  philosophy 
at  Athens  and  Alexandria,  and  I  was  stunned 
by  the  violence  of  the  discussions.  At  last, 
when  I  had  gone  as  far  as  India,  I  saw  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Ganges  a  naked  man  who 
had  been  there  motionless,  with  his  legs 
crossed,  for  thirty  years.  Creepers  clung 
around  his  emaciated  body,  while  in  his  hair 
birds  built  their  nests.  But  he  was  alive. 
Upon  seeing  him  I  thought  of  Timaessa,  the 
flute-player,  my  two  brothers,  and  my  father, 
and  I  understood  that  this  Indian  was  wise. 
'  Men  suffer,'  I  said  to  myself,  '  because  they 
are  deprived  of  what  they  believe  to  be  a 
benefit,  or  else,  possessing  it,  they  fear  to  lose 
it ;  or  because  they  suffer  that  which  they 
believe  to  be  a  wrong.  Suppress  all  belief 
of  this  kind,  and  all  evils  would  disappear.' 
That  is  the  reason  why,  following  the  Indian's 
example,  I  decided  to  no  longer  consider  any- 
thing advantageous,  to  profess  entire  detach- 
ment from  this  world's  goods,  and  to  live  in 
solitude  and  immobility." 

Paphnutius  had  listened  to  the  old  man's 
story  with  attention. 

"  Timocles  of  Cos,"  he  replied,  "  I  confess 
that  everything  in  your  purpose  is  not  with- 


THE    LOTUS  31 

out  sense.  It  is  wise,  for  instance,  to  despise 
this  world's  goods  ;  but  it  would  be  madness 
to  despise  the  eternal,  and  to  expose  one's  self 
to  God's  anger  in  the  same  way.  I  deplore 
your  ignorance,  Timocles,  and  I  will  instruct 
you  in  the  truth,  so  that  knowing  that  a 
God  exists  in  three  hypostases  you  may  obey 
this  God  as  a  son  obeys  his  father." 

But  Timocles  interrupted  him  : 

"  Restrain  yourself,  stranger,  from  expound- 
ing your  doctrines,  and  do  not  attempt  to 
constrain  me  to  share  your  opinions.  All 
'discussion  is  sterile.  My  opinion  is  to  have 
no  opinion.  I  live  exempt  from  troubles,  pro- 
vided that  I  live  without  preferences.  Resume 
your  way,  and  do  not  attempt  to  draw  me 
from  the  blessed  apathy  in  which  I  am 
plunged,  as  in  a  delicious  bath,  after  the 
rough  toil  of  my  life." 

Paphnutius  was  deeply  learned  in  the 
doctrines  of  the  faith.  By  his  knowledge  of 
the  hearts  of  men  he  knew  that  the  grace  of 
God  was  not  with  the  old  man  Timocles, 
and  that  the  day  of  salvation  was  not  yet 
come  to  that  soul  implacable  at  its  loss.  He 
made  no  reply,  for  fear  that  edification  might 
turn  to  scandal ;  for  it  sometimes  happens 


32  THAIS 

that  disputes  with  the  unfaithful  urge  them 
into  sin,  instead  of  converting  them.  For 
that  reason  those  who  possess  the  truth  should 
publish  it  abroad  with  prudence. 

"  Farewell,  then,"  said  he,  "  unfortunate 
Timocles." 

Heaving  a  deep  sigh,  he  resumed  his  pious 
journey  in  the  darkness. 

In  the  morning  he  saw  ibis  standing  motion- 
less, on  one  foot,  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
which  reflected  their  pale  and  rosy  necks. 
The  willows  extended  their  soft  grey  foliage 
far  along  the  bank  ;  cranes  flew  in  triangles' 
in  the  clear  sky,  and  among  the  reeds  sounded 
the  cries  of  invisible  herons. 

As  far  as  the  eye  could  see,  the  river  rolled 
its  broad  green  waves  on  which,  like  the  wings 
of  birds,  sails  glided  here  and  there ;  white 
houses  stood  on  the  banks  at  intervals,  with 
light  vapours  hovering  round  them,  while 
from  the  shade  of  islands,  weighed  down  with 
palms,  flowers  and  fruit,  escaped  a  noisy 
multitude  of  ducks,  geese,  flamingoes  and 
teal.  On  the  left  the  green  valley  stretched 
out  to  meet  the  desert,  its  fields  and  orchards 
quivering  with  joy,  the  sun  gilded  the  ears,  and 
the  earth's  fecundity  was  exhaled  in  odorous  dust. 


THE    LOTUS  33 

Then  Paphnutius  fell  down  on  his  knees 
and  cried  : 

"  Blessed  be  the  Lord  who  has  favoured  my 
journey !  Thou  God,  who  spread'st  the  dawn 
upon  the  fig-trees  of  Arsinoitides,  send  down 
thy  grace  upon  the  soul  of  this  Thafs  whom 
thou  hast  fashioned  with  no  less  love  than  the 
flowers  and  trees  of  the  field.  Make  her  to 
flower  by  thy  care  as  a  balsamic  rose  in  thy 
celestial  Jerusalem  ! " 

Each  time  he  saw  a  tree  in  bloom  or  a 
brilliant  bird  he  thought  of  Thai's.  Thus,  along 
the  left  bank  of  the  river,  through  fertile  and 
populous  countries,  he  in  a  few  days  reached 
Alexandria,  surnamed  the  beautiful  and  golden 
by  the  Greeks.  It  was  an  hour  after  daybreak 
when  he  saw  the  mighty  city  from  the  summit 
of  a  hill,  its  roof  sparkling  in  the  rosy  morn. 
He  stopped,  and  folding  his  arms  upon  his 
breast,  said  : 

"  There  then  is  the  delightful  spot  where  I 
was  born  in  sin,  the  air  from  which  I  breathed 
poisoned  perfumes,  the  sea  of  pleasure  upon 
which  I  heard  the  Sirens  sing  !  There  is  my 
cradle  according  to  the  flesh,  there  my  home 
according  to  the  world  !  A  cradle  of  flowers 
and  a  home  of  nobility  in  the  eyes  of  men  ! 
C 


34  THAIS 

It  is  natural,  Alexandria,  for  children  to  cherish 
you  as  a  mother,  and  I  was  reared  upon  your 
breasts  decked  in  magnificence.  But  the 
ascetic  despises  nature,  the  mystic  disdains 
appearances,  the  Christian  regards  his  human 
home  as  a  place  of  exile,  and  the  monk  shuns 
the  world.  I  have  turned  away  my  heart  from 
love  for  you,  Alexandria.  I  hate  you  !  I  hate 
you  for  your  wealth,  for  your  science,  for  your 
gentleness  and  for  your  beauty.  My  curse  be 
upon  you,  temple  of  demons  !  Gentile  couch  of 
shame,  tainted  Aryan  see,  my  curse  be  upon 
you !  O  Son  of  God,  who  led  the  holy  hermit 
Anthony  our  father  when,  coming  from  the 
depths  of  the  desert,  he  entered  this  citadel  of 
idolatry  to  confirm  the  faith  of  the  confessors 
and  the  courage  of  the  martyrs ;  angel  of 
beauty,  invisible  child,  God's  earliest  breath,  fly 
before  me  and  with  the  beating  of  your  wings 
perfume  the  corrupted  air  I  am  about  to  breathe 
among  the  princes  of  darkness  of  this  world  !  " 

After  praying  thus,  he  resumed  his  journey. 
He  entered  the  city  by  the  gate  of  the  Sun. 
This  gate  was  of  stone,  and  stood  up  proudly. 
But  reclining  in  its  shade  wretches  offered  for 
sale  to  the  passers-by  citrons  and  figs,  or  with 
their  lamentations  begged  an  obol. 


THE    LOTUS  35 

A  ragged  old  woman  who  was  kneeling  there 
seized  the  monk's  robe  and  kissing  it,  said  : 

"  Man  of  God,  bless  me  so  that  God  may 
also  bless  me.  I  have  suffered  many  things 
in  this  world,  and  I  desire  joy  in  the  next. 
You  come  from  God,  holy  man,  and  so  the 
dust  of  your  feet  is  more  precious  than  fine 
gold." 

"  God  be  praised,"  said  Paphnutius,  as 
with  half-open .  hand  he  placed  the  sign  of 
redemption  upon  the  old  woman's  head. 

But  hardly  had  he  gone  twenty  paces 
along  the  street  when  a  crowd  of  children 
began  to  throw  stones  at  him,  crying : 

"  Oh,  wicked  monk !  He  is  blacker  than 
a  raven,  and  more  bearded  than  a  goat.  He 
is  a  drone.  Why  not  hang  him  in  a  field, 
like  a  Priapus,  to  frighten  the  birds?  No, 
he  would  bring  down  hail  upon  the  apple 
blossoms.  He  brings  bad  luck.  To  the 
ravens  with  him  !  "  Stones  accompanied  these 
last  words. 

"  God  bless  these  poor  children,"  murmured 
Paphnutius. 

As  he  pursued  his  way,  he  thought : 

"  I  am  venerated  by  the  old  woman  and 
despised  by  the  children.  Thus  the  same 


36  THAIS 

object  is  differently  appreciated  by  men,  who 
are  uncertain  in  their  judgment  and  are 
subject  to  error.  It  must  be  admitted  that, 
for  a  Gentile,  the  old  man  Timocles  is  not 
void  of  sense.  In  his  blindness  he  perceives 
that  he  is  deprived  of  light.  Everything  in 
this  world  is  mirage  and  shifting  sand. 
Stability  is  in  God  alone." 

He  traversed  the  city  with  a  rapid  step. 
After  ten  years'  absence  he  recognised  each 
stone,  and  each  stone  was  to  him  a  stone 
of  scandal,  recalling  a  sin.  Therefore  he 
roughly  trampled  with  his  naked  feet  the 
stones  of  the  street,  and  rejoiced  as  he  saw 
upon  them  the  blood  of  his  mangled  heels. 
Leaving  on  the  left  the  magnificent  porticoes 
of  the  temple  of  Serapis,  he  walked  along 
a  road  bordered  by  magnificent  villas,  which 
seemed  steeped  in  perfume.  Pines,  maples, 
and  turpentine  trees  lifted  their  heads  above 
red  cornice  and  golden  acroteria.  Through 
the  half-open  doors  he  saw  statues  of  brass 
in  marble  vestibules  and  streams  of  water 
among  the  foliage,  no  sounds  disturbed  the 
peace  of  these  lovely  retreats,  nothing  but 
the  distant  sound  of  a  flute.  The  monk 
stopped  before  a  small  but  nobly  proper- 


THE    LOTUS  37 

tioned  house,  supported  by  columns  as  grace- 
ful as  young  girls.  It  was  ornamented  with 
bronze  busts  of  the  most  famous  Greek 
philosophers. 

Among  them  he  saw  Plato,  Socrates, 
Aristoles,  Epicurus  and  Zeno,  and  after 
knocking  he  thought,  as  he  waited :  "  It  is 
vain  for  metal  to  glorify  these  false  sages. 
Their  untruths  are  confounded ;  their  souls 
are  plunged  in  hell,  and  Plato,  the  famous, 
who  filled  the  land  with  the  power  of  his 
eloquence,  is  now  disputing  with  devils." 

A  slave  opened  the  door,  and  finding  a 
man  with  naked  feet  upon  the  mosaic  of  the 
porch,  said  roughly : 

"  Go  and  beg  elsewhere,  ridiculous  monk, 
and  do  not  wait  for  me  to  drive  you  away 
with  a  stick." 

"  Brother,"  replied  the  priest  of  Antinoe, 
"  I  simply  desire  you  to  take  me  to  Nicias, 
your  master." 

The  slave  replied  still  more  angrily : 

"  My  master  does  not  receive  dogs  like 
you." 

"  Son,"  replied  Paphnutius,  "  please  do  as 
I  ask,  and  tell  your  master  I  desire  to  see 
him." 


38  THAIS 

"  Off  you  go,"  shouted  the  furious  porter. 

He  raised  his  staff  to  the  holy  man,  who, 
crossing  his  arms  upon  his  breast,  received, 
without  moving,  the  blow  full  on  his  face, 
and  then  gently  repeated  : 

"  Do  as  I  desire,  my  son,  I  beg  you." 

Then  the  trembling  porter  murmured  : 

"  Who  is  this  man  who  does  not  fear  to 
suffer  ?  " 

He  ran  to  tell  his  master. 

Nicias  was  having  his  bath.  He  was  a 
gracious  smiling  man.  He  wore  an  expression 
of  gentle  irony  upon  his  face.  As  he  saw  the 
monk  approach,  he  rose  and  advanced  with 
open  arms : 

"  What,  you,  Paphnutius,"  he  cried,  "  my 
fellow-disciple,  friend  and  brother  !  I  can  still 
recognise  you,  though  you  have  become  more 
like  a  wild  beast  than  a  man.  Embrace  me. 
Do  you  recollect  the  time  we  studied  grammar, 
rhetoric  and  philosophy  together  ?  Even  then 
you  had  a  sombre  and  savage  humour,  but  I 
loved  you  because  of  your  perfect  sincerity. 
We  used  to  say  that  you  saw  the  universe 
through  a  horse's  wild  eyes,  and  it  was  not 
surprising  that  you  were  distrustful.  You 
were  a  little  lacking  in  atticism,  but  your 


THE    LOTUS  39 

liberality  knew  no  bounds.  You  set  no  store 
either  by  your  money  or  your  life.  There  was, 
too,  in  you  a  strange  genius,  a  strange  spirit, 
which  interested  me  greatly.  I  am,  indeed, 
glad  to  see  you  after  ten  years'  absence.  You 
have  left  the  desert ;  you  are  giving  up 
Christian  superstition  and  resuming  your  old 
life.  This  is  indeed  a  red-letter  day." 

"  Crobyle  and  Myrtale,"  he  added,  turning 
to  his  slaves,  "  perfume  my  dear  guest's  feet, 
hands  and  beard." 

They  brought  the  ewer  and  phials  and  metal 
mirror  with  a  smile.  But  Paphnutius  with  an 
imperious  gesture  stayed  them,  and  cast  down 
his  eyes,  so  that  he  might  not  see  them,  for 
they  were  naked.  Nicias,  however,  gave  him 
cushions  and  offered  him  food  and  drink  of 
various  kinds,  all  of  which  he  contemptuously 
declined. 

"  Nicias,"  said  he,  "  I  have  not  given  up  what 
you  wrongly  call  the  Christian  superstition, 
and  what  is  indeed  the  truth  of  truths.  In 
the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word 
was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  Every- 
thing was  made  by  him,  and  without  him 
was  nothing  made  that  was  made.  In  him 
was  life,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men." 


40  THAI'S 

"  Dear  Paphnutius,"  replied  Nicias,  as  he 
put  on  a  perfumed  tunic,  "  do  you  think  you 
will  astonish  me  by  quoting  unskilfully  arranged 
words,  which  are  only  a  vain  murmur.  Have 
you  forgotten  that  I  myself  am  something  of 
a  philosopher?  Do  you  think  you  can  content 
me  with  a  few  shreds  torn  from  the  purple  of 
Amelius,  when  Amelius,  Porphyrius  and  Plato, 
in  all  their  glory,  fail  to  satisfy  me.  Systems 
constructed  by  sages  are  only  stories  imagined 
to  amuse  men's  eternal  infancy.  We  must 
smile  at  them,  as  we  do  at  the  stories  of  the 
ass,  the  Matron  of  Ephesus,  or  any  other 
Milesian  fable."  Taking  his  guest  by  the  arm, 
he  led  him  into  a  hall,  in  which  were  thou- 
sands of  rolls  of  papyrus  in  baskets.  "  Here 
is  my  library,"  he  said  ;  "  it  contains  a  small 
number  of  the  systems  which  philosophers 
have  constructed  to  explain  the  world.  The 
Serapeum  with  all  its  wealth  does  not  contain 
them  all.  Alas,  they  are  only  sick  men's 
dreams." 

He  forced  his  guest  to  sit  in  an  ivory  chair, 
and  sat  down  himself.  Paphnutius  threw  a 
sorrowful  glance  at  the  books  in  the  library, 
and  said  : 

"  They  must  all  be  burnt." 


THE    LOTUS  41 

"  O,  my  guest,  what  a  loss  that  would  be ! " 
replied  Nicias ;  "  for  sometimes  sick  men's 
dreams  are  amusing.  Besides,  if  all  the  dreams 
and  visions  of  men  were  to  be  destroyed,  the 
earth  would  lose  its  forms  and  colours,  and 
we  should  all  sleep  in  sorrowful  stupidity." 

Paphnutius  continued  his  idea : 

"  It  is  certain  that  the  doctrines  of  the 
Pagans  are  only  empty  dreams.  But  God, 
who  is  the  truth,  has  revealed  himself  to  men 
by  miracles.  He  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt 
among  us." 

Nicias  replied  : 

"  You  speak  well,  dear  Paphnutius,  when 
you  say  that  he  was  made  flesh.  A  God  who 
thinks,  acts,  speaks  and  walks  in  nature  as 
ancient  Ulysses  did,  is  quite  a  man.  How  do 
you  expect  belief  in  this  new  Jupiter,  when 
the  fools  in  Athens,  in  the  days  of  Pericles, 
did  not  any  longer  believe  in  the  old  Jupiter? 
But  let  us  leave  all  that.  You  have  not  come, 
I  think,  to  dispute  upon  the  three  hypostases. 
What  can  I  do  for  you,  fellow-disciple  ? " 

"  Something  exceedingly  good,"  replied  the 
priest  of  Antinoe.  Lend  me  a  perfumed  tunic 
like  the  one  you  have  just  put  on.  Add  to 
that  golden  sandals  and  a  phial  of  oil  to  anoint 


42  THAIS 

my  beard  and  hair.  I  shall  be  glad,  too, 
if  you  will  give  me  a  purse  of  a  thousand 
drachmae.  That,  Nicias,  is  what  I  came  to 
ask  of  you,  for  the  love  of  God  and  in  memory 
of  our  former  friendship." 

Nicias  made  Crobyle  and  Myrtale  bring  his 
richest  tunic  ;  it  was  embroidered  in  the 
Asiatic  style  with  flowers  and  animals.  The 
two  women  held  it  open  and  made  its  vivid 
colours  flash,  expecting  Paphnutius  to  take 
off  the  cloak  which  covered  him  from  head 
to  foot.  But  as  the  monk  declared  he  would 
sooner  lose  his  flesh  than  take  off  his  robe, 
they  passed  the  tunic  underneath.  As  these 
two  women  were  beautiful  they  did  not  fear 
men,  although  they  were  slaves.  They  began 
to  laugh  at  the  appearance  of  this  strangely 
arrayed  monk.  Crobyle  called  him  her  dear 
satrap,  as  she  held  up  the  mirror  before  him, 
and  Myrtale  pulled  his  beard.  But  Paphnutius 
was  praying  to  God,  and  did  not  see  them. 
After  putting  on  the  golden  sandals  and 
fastening  the  purse  to  his  belt,  he  said  to 
Nicias,  who  was  looking  at  him  with  a 
smile : 

"  Nicias,  the  things  you  see  need  not  be  a 
scandal  to  your  eyes.  Be  sure  that  I  will 


THE    LOTUS  43 

make  good  use  of  this  tunic,  this  purse  and 
these  sandals." 

"  Dear  friend,"  replied  Nicias,  "  I  am  think- 
ing no  evil,  for  I  believe  men  equally  incap- 
able of  good  and  ill.  Good  and  evil  exist 
only  in  opinion.  The  sage  has,  for  reasons 
of  action,  only  custom  and  habit.  I  conform 
to  the  reigning  prejudices  at  Alexandria. 
That  is  the  reason  I  pass  for  an  honourable 
man.  Go,  friend,  and  be  glad." 

But  Paphnutius  considered  that  he  ought 
to  warn  his  host  of  his  plan. 

"  You  know,"  he  said,  "  the  Thai's  who  acts 
at  the  theatre?" 

"She  is  beautiful,"  replied  Nicias,  "and 
there  was  a  time  when  she  was  dear  to  me. 
I  have  sold  a  mill  and  two  fields  of  corn  for 
her,  and  have  composed  in  her  honour  three 
books  of  detestable  elegies.  Surely  beauty  is 
the  most  powerful  thing  in  the  world,  and  if 
we  were  made  to  possess  it  for  ever,  we 
should  think  as  little  as  possible  of  the 
Divine  Word,  eons  and  all  the  other  reveries 
of  philosophers.  But  I  wonder,  Paphnutius, 
at  your  coming  from  the  depths  of  the 
Thebaid  to  talk  of  Thai's." 

After  saying  this,  he  sighed  gently.     Paph- 


44  THA'fS 

nutius  looked  at  him  in  horror,  being  unable 
to  conceive  how  a  man  could  so  quietly  avow 
such  a  sin.  He  expected  to  see  the  earth 
open  and  swallow  Nicias  up  in  flames.  But 
the  earth  remained  firm,  and  the  Alexandrian, 
with  his  face  in  his  hand,  smiled  in  silence 
sadly  at  the  images  of  his  departed  youth. 
The  monk,  rising,  replied  in  a  solemn  voice : 

"  Nicias !  my  object,  by  God's  aid,  is  to 
snatch  away  this  Thai's  from  base  earthly  love 
and  give  her  as  a  spouse  to  Jesus  Christ.  If 
the  Holy  Spirit  does  not  forsake  me,  Tha'i's 
will  to-day  quit  this  city  to  enter  a  nunnery." 

"  Fear  to  offend  Venus,"  replied  Nicias,  "  she 
is  a  poxverful  goddess.  She  will  be  angry 
with  you  if  you  take  away  her  most  illustrious 
servant." 

"  God  will  protect  me,"  said  Paphnutius. 
"  May  he  send  light  into  your  heart,  Nicias, 
and  draw  you  from  the  abyss  in  which  you 
are  plunged ! " 

He  went  out.  But  Nicias  followed  him. 
Rejoining  him  near  the  door,  he  placed  his 
hand  upon  his  shoulder  and  whispered  in 
his  ear : 

"  Fear  to  offend  Venus ;  her  vengeance  is 
terrible." 


THE    LOTUS  45 

Paphnutius,  disdaining  this  warning,  went 
out  without  turning  his  head.  His  conversa- 
tion with  Nicias  had  strongly  inspired  him 
with  contempt ;  but  the  idea  that  his  friend 
of  the  past  had  received  the  caresses  of  Thai's 
was  quite  unbearable.  Sin  with  this  woman 
seemed  to  him  more  detestable  than  any 
other  sin.  It  aroused  in  him  a  singular 
feeling  of  malice,  and  henceforth  he  exe- 
crated Nicias.  He  had  always  hated  im- 
purity, but  surely  the  image  of  this  vice  had 
never  appeared  so  abominable  before ;  never 
had  he  partaken  so  heartily  of  Jesus  Christ's 
anger  and  the  angels'  sorrow. 

He  felt  a  stronger  desire  to  snatch  Thai's 
from  the  midst  of  the  Gentiles  and  longed 
to  see  and  save  the  actress.  It  was  always 
necessary  to  wait  when  visiting  this  woman 
till  the  heat  of  the  day  was  past.  The 
morning  was  hardly  over  as  Paphnutius 
walked  along  the  chief  streets  of  the  city, 
and  he  had  resolved  to  take  no  nourishment 
upon  the  journey  so  that  he  might  be  more 
worthy  of  the  favour  for  which  he  had  prayed 
the  Lord.  In  the  supreme  bitterness  of  his 
soul,  he  did  not  dare  to  enter  any  of  the 
churches  of  the  city,  because  he  knew  they 


46  THAIS 

had  been  profaned  by  the  Aryans,  who  had 
overthrown  the  Lord's  tables.  In  fact  these 
heretics,  who  were  maintained  by  the  Emperor 
of  the  East,  had  driven  out  the  patriarch 
Athanasius  from  his  episcopal  see,  and  had 
filled  the  Christians  of  Alexandria  with  fear 
and  dread. 

He  walked  at  hazard,  sometimes  fixing  his 
eyes  upon  the  earth  in  humility,  and  at 
others  raising  them  in  ecstasy.  After  wander- 
ing about  for  some  time  he  found  himself 
upon  one  of  the  quays.  The  harbour  sheltered 
innumerable  dark  -  hulled  ships,  while  the 
treacherous  sea  smiled  in  azure  and  silver 
in  the  offing.  A  galley  having  a  Nereid  at 
the  prow,  was  weighing  anchor.  The  oars- 
men sang  as  they  rowed  ;  and  soon  the  white 
daughter  of  the  ocean,  covered  with  humid 
pearls,  became  to  the  monk  but  a  fleeting 
profile,  she  sailed  with  a  pilot's  aid  through 
the  narrow  passage  into  the  basin  of  Eunostos 
and  gained  the  open  sea,  leaving  behind  her 
a  trail  of  foam. 

"I,  too,"  thought  Paphnutius,  "once  desired 
to  embark  upon  the  ocean  of  the  world  with  a 
song  upon  my  lips.  But  I  soon  recognised  my 
folly,  and  the  Nereid  has  not  overpowered  me." 


THE    LOTUS  47 

With  this  in  his  thoughts  he  sat  down 
upon  a  coil  of  rope  and  fell  asleep.  While 
he  slept  he  saw  a  vision.  He  seemed  to  hear 
the  piercing  blast  of  a  trumpet  and,  as  the 
sky  became  the  colour  of  blood,  he  knew  that 
the  end  was  come.  As  he  prayed  to  God 
with  his  whole  heart,  he  saw  an  enormous 
beast  coming  to  him,  having  upon  its  fore- 
head a  cross  of  light,  and  recognised  the 
Sphinx  of  Silsile.  The  beast  seized  him  with 
its  teeth  without  doing  him  any  injury  and 
carried  him  off,  as  a  cat  does  her  kittens, 
dangling  from  its  mouth.  Paphnutius  in  this 
manner  traversed  several  kingdoms,  crossing 
rivers  and  mountains,  till  he  came  to  a  scene 
of  desolation  covered  with  frightful  rocks  and 
hot  ashes.  The  earth  emitted  from  many 
openings  a  breath  of  fire.  The  beast,  gently 
placing  Paphnutius  upon  the  earth,  said  to 
him  : 

"  Look  ! " 

Paphnutius  leant  over  the  edge  of  the 
abyss  and  saw  a  river  of  fire  flaming  through 
the  centre  of  the  earth  in  a  channel  of  black 
rocks.  There  in  a  fierce  light  demons  tor- 
mented the  souls  of  the  dead.  These  souls 
retained  the  shapes  of  the  bodies  which  had 


48  THAIS 

contained  them,  and  even  shreds  of  clothing 
remained  attached  to  them.  They  seemed  at 
peace  in  the  midst  of  torment.  The  soul  of 
a  man  tall  and  white,  with  a  band  across  his 
forehead  and  sceptre  in  his  hand,  sang  with 
closed  eyes  ;  his  voice  filled  the  sterile  plain 
with  harmony;  he  sang  of  gods  and  heroes. 
Little  green  devils  were  piercing  his  lips  and 
throat  with  red-hot  irons.  The  shade  of 
Homer  continued  to  sing.  Close  by  old 
Anaxagoras,  bald  and  gnarled,  traced  figures 
in  the  dust  with  his  compass.  A  demon  was 
pouring  boiling  oil  into  the  sage's  ear  without 
interrupting  his  meditations.  The  monk  saw, 
too,  a  crowd  of  persons  upon  the  dreary  bank 
of  the  river  of  fire,  reading  or  conversing  as 
they  walked,  like  masters  and  pupils  of  the 
Academy  in  the  shade  of  the  plane-trees. 
Apart,  old  Timocles  shook  his  head  in  denial. 
An  angel  of  the  abyss  was  waving  a  torch 
under  his  eyes,  and  Timocles  would  see 
neither. 

Dumb  with  surprise  at  this  sight,  Paphnutius 
turned  towards  the  beast.  It  had  disappeared, 
and  in  its  place  stood  a  veiled  woman  who  said 
to  him  : 

"  Look    well    and    understand.     Such   is    the 


THE    LOTUS  49 

stubbornness  of  these  infidels  that  they  remain 
in  hell  the  victims  of  the  illusions  which  se- 
duced them  on  earth.  Death  has  not  disabused 
their  minds,  for  it  is  very  clear  that  to  see  God 
it  is  not  sufficient  to  die.  Those  you  see  there, 
who  ignored  the  truth  as  men,  will  always 
ignore  it.  Who  are  the  demons,  who  rage 
around  these  souls,  but  forms  of  divine  Justice. 
For  that  reason  these  souls  neither  see  nor 
understand.  Strangers  to  truth  of  all  kinds, 
they  know  not  their  own  condemnation,  and 
even  God  cannot  constrain  them  to  suffer." 

"  God  is  omnipotent,"  said  the  priest  of 
Antinoe. 

"  He  cannot  perform  an  absurdity,"  replied  the 
veiled  woman.  "  To  punish  them,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  enlighten  them,  and  if  they  pos- 
sessed the  truth  they  would  be  as  the  elect." 

Again  Paphnutius,  full  of  horror  and  uneasi- 
ness, leaned  over  the  abyss.  This  time  he  saw, 
under  the  charred  myrtles,  the  smiling  shade 
of  Nicias,  his  forehead  wreathed  with  flowers. 
Near  him  Aspasia  of  Miletus,  attired  in  her 
elegant  mantle,  seemed  to  speak  at  once  of 
philosophy  and  love,  so  sweet  and  noble  was 
the  expression  of  her  face.  The  rain  of  fire 
which  was  falling  was  like  the  freshness  of  the 
D 


50  THAIS 

dawn  to  them,  and  their  feet  trod  the  burnt-up 
earth  as  if  it  were  lovely  turf.  At  this,  Paph- 
nutius  became  furious. 

"  Strike,  my  God,  strike !  It  is  Nicias,"  he 
cried.  "  Make  him  weep !  make  him  groan ! 
make  him  grind  his  teeth !  He  has  sinned  with 
Thais!" 

Paphnutius  awoke  in  the  arms  of  a  sailor 
strong  as  Hercules,  who  was  crying  out,  as  he 
dragged  him  on  to  the  sand  : 

"  Peace,  friend,  peace.  By  Proteus,  god  of 
the  sea,  you  sleep  restlessly.  If  I  had  not 
held  you  back,  you  would  have  fallen  into  the 
Eunostos.  As  true  as  my  mother  sold  salt  fish, 
I  saved  your  life." 

"  Thank  God,"  Paphnutius  replied. 

Rising  to  his  feet  he  walked  straight  before 
him,  meditating  upon  the  vision  which  had 
come  to  him  in  his  sleep. 

"  This  vision,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  is  mani- 
festly evil  ;  it  offends  divine  goodness  by  repre- 
senting hell  as  devoid  of  reality.  It  certainly 
comes  from  the  Devil." 

He  reasoned  thus  because  he  knew  how  to 
discern  dreams  sent  by  God  from  those  pro- 
duced by  wicked  angels.  Such  discrimination 
is  useful  to  the  hermit,  who  lives  surrounded  by 


THE    LOTUS  51 

apparitions,  for  in  shunning  men  he  is  sure  to 
meet  spirits.  The  deserts  are  peopled  with 
phantoms.  When  pilgrims  approached  the 
ruined  castle  to  which  the  holy  Anthony  had 
retired,  they  heard  noises  like  those  of  towns 
en  fete.  These  noises  were  made  by  the  devils 
tempting  the  holy  man. 

Paphnutius  recalled  this  memorable  example. 
He  recalled  the  case  of  St  John  of  Egypt, 
whom  for  sixty  years  the  Devil  tried  to  seduce 
by  means  of  his  spells.  But  John  baffled  the 
ruses  of  hell.  One  day,  however,  the  demon, 
in  man's  shape,  entered  the  venerable  man's 
grotto  and  said  to  him  :  "  John,  you  must  pro- 
long your  fast  till  to-morrow  evening."  John, 
believing  he  was  listening  to  an  angel's  voice, 
obeyed  the  demon  and  fasted  on  the  morrow 
till  the  hour  of  vespers.  That  was  the  only 
victory  the  Prince  of  Darkness  ever  won  over 
St  John  the  Egyptian,  and  it  was  but  a  paltry 
one.  For  that  reason  it  is  not  at  all  wonderful 
that  Paphnutius  at  once  recognised  the  falsity 
of  the  vision  which  had  visited  him  during  his 
sleep. 

While  he  was  gently  reproaching  God  for 
abandoning  him  to  the  demon's  power,  he  was 
pushed  and  carried  along  by  a  crowd  of  people 


52  THAIS 

all  hurrying  the  same  way.  Being  unaccus- 
tomed to  walking  in  cities,  he  was  driven  from 
one  passer-by  to  another  like  an  inert  mass ; 
and  becoming  entangled  in  the  folds  of  his 
own  tunic  he  almost  fell  on  several  occasions. 
Desirous  to  know  where  all  these  people  were 
going,  he  asked  one  of  them  the  reason  of  his 
haste. 

"  Stranger,  do  you  not  know,"  the  latter  re- 
plied, "  that  the  games  are  about  to  commence 
and  that  Thai's  is  appearing  ?  All  these  citizens 
are  going  to  the  theatre,  and  I  am  going  there 
too.  Would  you  care  to  accompany  me?  " 

Suddenly  perceiving  that  it  would  suit  his 
plan  to  see  Thai's  in  the  games,  Paphnutius 
followed  the  stranger.  The  theatre  was  just 
in  front  of  them  ;  its  portico  was  adorned  with 
brilliant  masks,  and  its  vast  circular  wall 
peopled  with  innumerable  statues.  Following 
the  crowd,  they  entered  a  narrow  corridor  at 
the  end  of  wrhich  stretched  the  amphitheatre 
dazzling  with  light.  They  took  their  seats  in 
one  of  the  rows,  while  the  magnificently  decor- 
ated arena  was  still  empty.  No  curtain  ob- 
structed the  view,  and  the  audience  could  see 
a  mound  like  those  which  the  ancient  nations 
dedicated  to  the  shades  of  their  heroes.  This 


THE   LOTUS  53 

mound  stood  in  the  midst  of  a  camp.  Piles 
of  lances  stood  before  tents,  and  golden  shields 
hung  from  the  tent  poles  among  wreaths  of 
laurel  and  crowns  of  oak  leaves.  The  silence 
of  sleep  was  over  all.  But  a  buzzing,  like  the 
sound  of  a  hive  of  bees,  arose  from  the  semi- 
circle of  spectators.  Every  face,  red  with  the 
reflection  of  purple  robes,  turned  with  an  ex- 
pression of  expectant  curiosity  towards  the 
large  silent  space  containing  the  tomb  and 
tents.  The  women  laughed  as  they  ate  citrons. 

Paphnutius  prayed  inwardly  and  refrained 
from  vain  conversation,  but  his  neighbour  com- 
menced to  complain  of  the  decline  of  the 
theatre. 

"  Formerly,"  said  he,  "  skilled  actors  de- 
claimed beneath  the  mask  the  verses  of  Euri- 
pides and  Menander.  Now  dramas  are  not 
spoken,  they  are  only  acted,  and  of  the  divine 
spectacles  held  in  honour  of  Bacchus  in  Athens, 
there  remains  only  pose  and  gesture  which  a 
Barbarian  or  even  a  Scythian  could  understand. 
The  tragic  mask,  in  which  the  voices  of  the 
actors  were  augmented  by  the  clash  of  metal, 
the  buskin,  which  made  men  like  gods  in 
stature,  the  tragic  majesty  and  sweet-versed 
songs,  all  have  gone.  Pantomimes  and  dancers 


54  THAIS 

with  uncovered  faces  replace  Paulus  and 
Roscius.  What  would  the  Athenians  in  the 
days  of  Pericles  have  said,  had  they  seen  a 
woman  show  herself  thus  at  the  games?  It  is 
indecent  for  a  woman  to  appear  in  public.  We 
have  indeed  degenerated  to  allow  it.  As  true 
as  my  name  is  Dorion,  woman  is  the  enemy  of 
man  and  the  shame  of  the  earth." 

"  You  speak  wisely,"  replied  Paphnutius, 
"  woman  is  our  worst  enemy.  She  gives 
pleasure  in  that  she  is  to  be  feared." 

"  By  the  eternal  gods,"  cried  Dorion,  "  woman 
brings  man  not  pleasure,  but  sorrow,  trouble 
and  black  care !  Love  is  the  cause  of  our  most 
poignant  sorrows.  Listen,  stranger :  in  my 
youth  I  went  to  Trezena  in  Argolis,  and  I 
saw  a  myrtle  of  wonderful  size,  the  leaves  of 
which  were  covered  with  innumerable  pin-holes. 
Now  this  is  what  the  people  of  Trezena  say 
about  the  myrtle :  '  Queen  Phaedra,  at  the 
time  she  began  to  love  Hippolytus,  remained 
all  day  languishing  under  this  very  tree.  In 
her  dreadful  weariness,  she  drew  the  golden 
pin,  which  held  her  blonde  hair,  and  with  it 
pierced  the  leaves  of  the  shrub.  Thus  all  the 
leaves  were  covered  with  pricks.  After  destroy- 
ing the  innocent  man  whom  she  pursued  with 


THE    LOTUS  55 

her  incestuous  love,  Phaedra,  as  you  know,  died 
in  misery.  She  shut  herself  in  her  nuptial 
chamber  and  hung  herself  by  her  golden  girdle 
from  an  ivory  peg.  The  gods  willed  that  the 
myrtle,  a  witness  of  this  terrible  misery,  should 
for  ever  bear  upon  its  leaves  the  pin-pricks.'  I 
plucked  one  of  its  leaves  ;  I  placed  it  at  the 
head  of  my  bed,  as  an  ever-present  warning  to 
myself  not  to  abandon  myself  to  the  furies  of 
love,  and  to  strengthen  myself  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  divine  Epicurus,  my  master,  who  teaches 
that  desire  is  a  thing  greatly  to  be  feared. 
Properly  speaking,  however,  love  is  a  malady 
of  faith,  and  one  can  never  be  sure  of  perfect 
health." 

Paphnutius  asked  : 

"  Dorion,  what  are  your  pleasures  ?  " 

Dorion,  in  sorrow,  replied  : 

"  I  have  only  one  pleasure,  and  that  I  admit 
is  not  a  very  vivid  one  ;  it  is  meditation.  With 
a  weak  stomach  a  man  must  not  seek  others." 

Taking  advantage  of  these  last  words,  Paph- 
nutius was  beginning  to  initiate  the  Epicurean 
in  the  spiritual  joys  procured  by  the  contempla- 
tion of  God.  He  began  : 

"  Listen  to  the  truth  and  receive  the  light !  " 

As  he  shouted  out  this,  he  saw  on  all  sides 


56  THAIS 

of  him  heads  and  arms  turned  towards  him, 
bidding  him  be  silent.  A  deep  silence  fell 
over  the  theatre,  through  which  soon  burst  the 
heroic  music. 

The  games  commenced.  Soldiers  had  left 
the  tents  and  begun  to  prepare  for  departure, 
when,  by  an  awful  prodigy,  a  cloud  covered 
the  summit  of  the  funeral  mound.  Then  the 
cloud  dispersed,  and  the  shade  of  Achilles  ap- 
peared clad  in  golden  armour.  Stretching  out 
his  arm  towards  the  warriors,  he  seemed  to 
say:  "What!  you  are  departing,  children  of 
Greece  ;  you  are  returning  to  the  land  I  shall 
never  again  see,  and  you  leave  my  tomb  with- 
out offerings  ? "  At  once  the  leaders  of  the 
Greeks  crowded  round  the  base  of  the  mound. 

Acamas,  son  of  Theseus,  old  Nestor,  and 
Agamemnon,  bearing  the  sceptre  and  bands, 
gazed  at  the  prodigy.  Pyrrhus,  the  young  son 
of  Achilles,  was  prostrate  in  the  dust.  Ulysses, 
recognisable  by  the  cap  from  which  his  curly 
hair  escaped,  showed  by  his  gestures  that  he 
agreed  with  the  hero's  shade.  He  argued  with 
Agamemnon,  and  from  their  gestures  the 
audience  could  understand  their  words. 

"  Achilles,"  the  King  of  Ithaca  seemed  to 
say,  "  is  worthy  of  honour  among  us,  the  man 


THE    LOTUS  57 

who  died  gloriously  for  Greece.  He  asks  that 
the  daughter  of  Priam,  the  virgin  Polyxena, 
be  sacrificed  upon  his  tomb.  Greeks,  content 
the  hero's  manes,  and  let  the  son  of  Peleus 
rejoice  in  Hades." 

But  the  King  of  Kings  replied  : 

"  Let  us  spare  the  Trojan  virgins,  whom  we 
have  snatched  from  the  altars.  Evils  enough 
have  fallen  upon  Priam's  illustrious  race." 

He  spoke  thus  because  he  loved  Polyxena's 
sister ;  but  sage  Ulysses  reproached  him  with 
preferring  Cassandra's  couch  to  the  lance  of 
Achilles. 

All  the  Greeks  applauded  Ulysses  with 
clashing  arms.  Polyxena's  death  was  decided, 
and,  thus  appeased,  the  shade  of  Achilles 
vanished.  The  music,  sometimes  furious  and 
sometimes  plaintive,  followed  the  thoughts  of  the 
characters.  The  audience  burst  into  applause. 

Paphnutius,  who  ascribed  everything  to  the 
divine  truth,  murmured  : 

"  We  see  by  this  fable  how  cruel  were  the 
worshippers  of  false  gods." 

"  All  religions  were  born  in  crime,"  replied 
the  Epicurean.  "  Happily  a  Greek  full  of  divine 
wisdom  came  to  free  men  from  the  vain  terrors 
of  the  unknown." 


58  THAIS 

But  Hecuba,  with  dishevelled  hair  and  torn 
robe,  came  out  of  the  tent  where  she  was  a 
captive.  There  was  a  deep  sigh  when  her 
perfect  image  of  misfortune  appeared.  Hecuba, 
warned  by  a  prophetic  dream,  moaned  for 
herself  and  her  daughter.  Ulysses  was  already 
at  her  side  asking  for  Polyxena.  The  old 
mother  tore  out  her  hair,  rent  her  cheeks  with 
her  nails,  and  kissed  the  hands  of  this  cruel 
man,  who  maintained  his  pitiless  gentleness, 
and  seemed  to  say  : 

"  Be  wise,  Hecuba,  and  yield  to  necessity. 
There  are  old  mothers  also  in  our  homes, 
weeping  for  their  children,  who  for  ever  sleep 
beneath  the  pines  of  Ida." 

Cassandra,  once  the  queen  of  prosperous 
Asia,  now  a  slave,  put  dust  upon  her  head. 

But  at  this  point  the  lifting  of  the  tent-cloth 
displayed  the  virgin  Polyxena.  An  unanimous 
murmur  rose  from  the  spectators.  They  had 
recognised  Thai's.  Paphnutius  saw  once  more 
the  woman  he  sought.  With  her  white  arm 
she  held  above  her  head  the  heavy  tent-cloth. 
Motionless  as  a  beautiful  statue,  but  throwing 
from  her  violet  eyes  sweet  and  proud  glances 
all  around,  she  made  everyone  feel  the  magic 
tremor  of  her  beauty. 


THE    LOTUS  59 

A  murmur  of  approval  arose  from  the  audi- 
ence, and  Paphnutius,  clasping  his  hands  upon 
his  heart  in  agitation,  breathed  with  a  sigh  : 

"  Why,  O  God,  dost  thou  give  this  power 
to  one  of  thy  creatures  ?  " 

Dorion,  less  moved,  said  : 

"  Truly  the  atoms  which  compose  this  woman 
present  an  agreeable  combination  to  the  eye. 
It  is  but  one  of  Nature's  frolics,  for  these 
atoms  know  not  what  they  compose.  One  day 
they  will  separate  with  the  same  indifference 
with  which  they  united.  Where  now  are  the 
atoms  which  composed  Lai's  or  Cleopatra  ?  I  do 
not  deny  that  women  are  sometimes  beautiful. 
They  are,  however,  made  to  submit  to  annoying 
disgrace  and  disgusting  inconvenience.  These 
things  occupy  the  minds  of  the  thoughtful, 
while  the  vulgar  pay  them  no  attention. 
Women  inspire  love,  although  it  is  unreason- 
able to  love  them." 

Thus  the  philosopher  and  the  ascetic  con- 
templated Thai's,  and  followed  each  his  train 
of  thought.  Neither  had  seen  Hecuba  turn 
towards  her  daughter,  and  say  to  her  in 
gesture : 

"  Try  to  move  cruel  Ulysses.  Make  your 
tears,  your  youth,  your  beauty,  speak  to  him  ! '' 


6o  THAIS 

Thai's,  or  rather  Polyxena  herself,  let  fall 
the  tent  door.  She  moved  a  step  and  all 
hearts  were  won.  When,  with  a  noble,  gliding 
gait,  she  advanced  towards  Ulysses,  the  rhythm 
of  her  movements,  accompanied  by  the  music 
of  flutes,  seemed  to  render  her  the  divine 
centre  of  the  harmony  of  the  world.  The 
audience  saw  nothing  but  her,  all  the  rest 
being  eclipsed  by  her  glory.  The  action  of 
the  scene,  however,  continued. 

The  prudent  son  of  Laertes  turned  his  head, 
and  concealed  his  hand  beneath  his  cloak  to 
avoid  the  glances  and  kisses  of  the  suppliant. 
The  virgin  signed  to  him  to  fear  her  no  more. 
Her  calm  glance  said  : 

"  Ulysses,  I  will  follow  you  and  obey  neces- 
sity, because  I  desire  to  die.  Daughter  of 
Priam  and  sister  of  Hector,  my  couch  formerly 
judged  worthy  of  kings,  shall  not  receive  a 
foreign  master.  I  freely  renounce  the  light  of 
day." 

Hecuba,  inert  in  the  dust,  suddenly  arose 
and  clasped  her  daughter  in  a  desperate 
embrace.  Polyxena,  with  resolute  gentleness, 
removed  her  mother's  arms  from  about  her ; 
she  appeared  to  say : 

"  Mother,    do    not   expose    yourself    to    the 


THE    LOTUS  61 

outrages  of  the  master.  Do  not  think  that 
he  will  not  drag  you  roughly  from  me.  Be- 
loved mother,  give  me  your  withered  hand, 
and  approach  your  lips  to  mine." 

The  beauty  of  grief  was  on  the  face  of 
Thai's.  The  crowd  recognised  this  woman's 
power  of  thus  clothing,  with  superhuman 
grace,  the  forms  and  acts  of  life ;  and  Paph- 
nutius,  pardoning  her  present  splendour  for 
the  sake  of  her  approaching  humility,  gloried 
in  the  saint  he  was  about  to  add  to 
Heaven. 

The  spectacle  reached  its  climax.  Hecuba 
fell  as  dead,  and  Polyxena,  led  by  Ulysses, 
advanced  towards  the  tomb  surrounded  by  the 
noblest  of  the  warriors.  She  climbed,  to  an 
accompaniment  of  mourning  chants,  the  mound, 
on  the  summit  of  which  the  son  of  Achilles 
offered  libations  in  a  golden  cup  to  the  manes 
of  the  hero.  When  the  sacrificers  stretched 
out  their  arms  to  seize  her,  she  signed  to  them 
her  wish  to  die  at  liberty,  as  the  descendant 
of  so  many  kings  ought.  Then  tearing  her 
tunic,  she  bared  her  heart.  There  Pyrrhus 
with  averted  head  plunged  his  sword,  and  by 
a  skilful  device,  blood  flowed  in  streams  from 
the  virgin's  dazzling  breast,  while  she,  with 


62  THAIS 

averted  head  and  the  horror  of  death  in  her 
eyes,  fell  prone. 

While  the  warriors  violated  the  victim,  and 
covered  her  with  lilies  and  anemones,  cries  of 
fright  and  sobs  rent  the  air,  and  Paphnutius, 
rising  from  his  seat,  prophesied  in  a  voice  of 
thunder : 

"  Gentiles,  vile  worshippers  of  demons  !  And 
Aryans,  more  infamous  than  idolaters,  learn ! 
What  you  have  just  seen  is  an  image  and 
symbol.  This  fable  has  a  mystic  meaning, 
and  soon  that  woman  will  be  sacrificed,  a 
willing  victim,  to  the  resurrected  God." 

The  crowd  was  already  leaving  the  theatre 
in  great  numbers.  The  priest  of  Antinoe, 
escaping  from  the  surprised  Dorion,  gained  the 
exit  still  prophesying. 

An  hour  later  he  knocked  at  Thais'  door. 

The  actress  dwelt  in  the  wealthy  quarter  of 
Racotes  near  Alexander's  tomb,  in  a  house 
surrounded  by  shady  gardens,  containing  arti- 
ficial rockeries,  and  a  stream  fringed  with  pop- 
lars. An  old  black  slave,  loaded  with  rings, 
opened  the  door  and  asked  his  business. 

"  I  desire  to  see  Thais,"  he  replied.  "  God 
is  my  witness  that  I  have  come  only  to  see 
her." 


THE    LOTUS  63 

As  he  wore  a  rich  tunic,  and  spoke  with  an 
air  of  authority,  the  slave  permitted  him  to 
enter. 

"You  will  find  Thai's,"  she  said,  "in  the 
Nymphs'  grotto." 


II 

THE    PAPYRUS 


THE    PAPYRUS 

THAIS  was  the  child  of  poor  though  free  parents 
who  were  idolaters.  From  her  youngest  days 
her  father  kept  an  inn  much  frequented  by 
sailors  at  Alexandria  near  the  gate  of  the 
Moon.  A  few  vivid  detached  souvenirs  of  her 
infancy  remained  in  her  mind.  She  could 
recall  her  father  as  he  sat  with  his  legs  crossed 
in  the  angle  of  the  hearth,  a  big  quiet  man, 
but  one  to  be  feared,  like  one  of  those  old 
Pharaohs  whose  memory  the  chants  of  com- 
plaint uttered  by  the  blind  at  the  crossways 
preserve.  She  could  recall,  too,  her  thin  and 
sorrowful  mother,  wandering  about  the  house 
like  a  famished  cat,  and  filling  it  with  the 
sounds  of  her  piercing  voice,  and  the  light  of 
her  phosphorescent  eyes.  It  was  said  that  she 
was  a  magician,  and  changed  into  an  owl  at 
night  to  meet  her  lovers.  Rumour  lied  :  Thais 
knew  well  from  frequent  observation  that  her 
mother  had  no  dealings  with  the  magic  arts, 
but  as  she  was  devoured  with  avarice,  she 
spent  the  night  counting  the  day's  profit.  Her 
67 


68  THAIS 

inert  father  and  avaricious  mother  allowed  her 
to  shape  her  life  like  the  animals  in  the  yard. 
Thus  she  became  very  skilful  in  abstracting 
obols  one  by  one  from  the  girdles  of  drunken 
sailors,  and  amusing  them  by  naive  songs,  and 
infamous  words  of  whose  meaning  she  was 
ignorant.  She  passed  from  knee  to  knee  in 
the  tavern  impregnated  with  the  smell  of  fer- 
mented drinks  and  resinous  bottles  ;  then,  with 
her  face  sticky  with  beer,  and  covered  with 
scratches  from  the  sailors'  rough  beards,  she 
escaped  clasping  the  obols  in  her  little  hands, 
and  ran  to  buy  honeycomb  from  an  old  woman 
in  the  gate  of  the  Moon.  Every  day  the 
scenes  were  the  same :  sailors  recounted  their 
dangers  in  times  of  storm,  then  played  dice 
or  huckle-bones,  and  called  with  oaths  for  the 
best  Cilician  beer. 

Each  night  she  was  wakened  by  the  scuffles 
of  the  drinkers.  Oyster  -  shells  hurled  across 
the  tables  in  the  midst  of  furious  uproar 
wounded  their  faces.  Sometimes  by  the  light 
of  smoky  lamps  she  saw  knives  gleam  and 
blood  flow. 

In  her  early  years,  the  only  form  of  human 
goodness  known  to  her  was  in  the  person  of 
Ahmes,  in  whom  she  was  humiliated.  Ahmes, 


THE   PAPYRUS  69 

the  slave  of  the  house,  was  a  Nubian  blacker 
than  the  pots  he  gravely  scoured  and  as  good 
as  a  night  of  sleep.  He  often  took  Thai's  upon 
his  knees  and  told  her  stories  in  which  there 
were  caverns  full  of  treasure,  built  for  avari- 
cious kings,  who  put  to  death  the  masons  and 
architects.  There  were  too,  in  these  stories, 
clever  thieves,  who  married  King's  daughters, 
and  courtesans  who  built  pyramids.  Little 
Tha'is  loved  Ahmes  as  a  father,  as  a  mother, 
as  a  nurse,  and  as  a  dog.  She  clung  to  the 
slave  and  followed  him  to  the  cellar  among 
the  wine  jars,  and  to  the  yard  among  the 
poor  ragged  hens  who  fluttered,  quicker  than 
eaglets,  before  the  negro's  knife.  Often  at 
night  upon  the  straw  he  made  water-mills  and 
ships  large  as  a  hand  with  all  their  equipment 
for  Thais,  instead  of  sleeping. 

From  his  master's  continual  ill-treatment  he 
had  an  ear  torn  off,  and  his  body  was  covered 
with  scars.  His  face,  however,  still  wore  a 
peaceful  and  joyful  expression.  No  one  about 
him  thought  of  asking  him  whence  he  drew  his 
soul's  consolation  and  his  heart's  pacification. 
He  was  as  simple  as  a  child.  When  doing  his 
daily  work  he  chanted  in  a  harsh  voice  canticles 
which  made  the  child  tremble  and  dream. 


70  THAIS 

Ahmes  was  a  Christian.  He  had  been 
baptised,  and  was  called  Theodore  at  the 
feasts  of  the  faithful,  which  he  attended 
secretly  during  the  time  allowed  him  for 
sleep. 

At  this  time  the  Church  was  undergoing  its 
supreme  trial.  By  the  orders  of  the  Emperor, 
the  churches  were  destroyed,  holy  books  burnt, 
and  holy  vessels  and  candlesticks  melted  down. 
Despoiled  of  their  honours,  the  Christians  ex- 
pected nothing  short  of  death.  Terror  reigned 
in  the  community  at  Alexandria  ;  the  prisons 
were  filled  to  overflowing  with  victims.  It  was 
whispered  in  affright  among  the  faithful,  that 
in  Syria,  Arabia,  Mesopotamia,  Cappadocia, 
and  the  whole  empire,  whips,  wooden-horses, 
iron-claws,  and  wild  beasts  were  rending  priests 
and  virgins  asunder.  Then,  Anthony,  who  was 
already  celebrated  for  his  visions  and  solitude, 
the  head  prophet  of  the  faithful  in  Egypt, 
swooped  down  like  an  eagle  from  the  top  of 
his  rock  upon  the  city  of  Alexandria,  and, 
passing  from  church  to  church,  inflamed  with 
his  own  zeal  the  entire  community.  Invisible 
to  the  Pagans,  he  was  nevertheless  present 
in  all  Christian  assemblies,  inspiring  in  each 
the  spirit  of  strength  and  prudence  which 


THE   PAPYRUS  71 

animated  him.  The  persecution  was  particu- 
larly severe  upon  slaves.  Many  of  them  in 
fear  denied  the  faith.  Others,  in  greater 
numbers,  fled  to  the  desert,  hoping  to  live 
there  either  in  contemplation  or  by  pillage. 
But  Ahmes  frequented  the  assemblies  as  usual, 
visited  prisoners,  buried  martyrs,  and  professed 
the  religion  of  Christ  with  joy.  Struck  by  this 
true  zeal,  the  great  Anthony,  before  returning 
to  the  desert,  clasped  the  black  slave  in  his 
arms,  and  gave  him  the  kiss  of  peace. 

When  Tha'fs  was  seven  years  old,  Ahmes 
began  to  speak  to  her  of  God. 

"The  Lord  God,"  he  told  her,  "lived  in 
heaven,  like  a  Pharaoh  in  the  tents  of  his 
harem  and  beneath  the  trees  of  his  gardens. 
He  was  the  oldest  of  the  old,  more  ancient 
than  the  world,  and  had  only  one  son,  Prince 
Jesus,  whom  he  loved  with  all  his  heart,  and 
who  excelled  both  virgins  and  angels  in  beauty. 
And  the  good  God  said  to  Prince  Jesus  : 

"  '  Leave  my  harem  and  palace,  my  date-trees 
and  my  fountains.  Descend  to  earth  for  the 
good  of  men.  There  you  will  be  like  a  little 
child  and  live  in  poverty  among  the  poor. 
Suffering  will  be  your  daily  bread,  and  so 
abundant  will  be  your  tears,  that  they  will  form 


72  THAI'S 

rivers,  in  which  weary  slaves  will  bathe  in 
delight.  Go,  my  son  ! ' 

"  Prince  Jesus  obeyed  the  Lord,  and  came  to 
earth  at  a  place  called  Bethlehem  in  Judaea. 
He  walked  in  meadows  carpeted  with  anemones, 
saying  to  his  companions  : 

"'  Happy  are  those  who  are  hungry,  for  they 
shall  sit  at  meat  with  my  father !  Happy  are 
those  who  are  thirsty,  for  they  shall  drink  at 
the  fountains  of  heaven  !  Happy  are  those  who 
weep,  for  I  will  dry  their  eyes  with  veils  finer 
than  those  of  the  alm6es.' 

"  For  that  reason  the  poor  loved  and  believed 
in  him.  But  the  rich  hated  him,  fearing  he 
would  set  the  poor  over  them.  In  those  days 
Cleopatra  and  Caesar  were  all-powerful  on  the 
earth.  They  both  hated  Jesus,  and  ordered  the 
judges  and  priests  to  kill  him.  To  obey  the 
Queen  of  Egypt,  the  Princes  of  Syria  raised  a 
cross  upon  a  high  mountain  and  upon  the  cross 
killed  Jesus.  But  women  washed  the  body  and 
buried  it,  and  Prince  Jesus,  after  breaking  the 
covering  of  his  tomb,  ascended  to  God  his  father. 

"  Since  that  time  all  those  who  die  in  him  go 
to  heaven.  The  Lord  God,  with  open  arms, 
says  to  them :  '  Welcome,  since  you  love  the 
Prince  my  son.  Bathe  and  eat.' 


THE   PAPYRUS  73 

"They  shall  bathe  to  the  sounds  of  beautiful 
music  and  all  the  time  they  feast  they  shall  see 
almees  dancing  and  listen  to  stories  without 
end.  The  Lord  God  will  hold  them  dearer  to 
himself  than  the  light  of  his  eyes,  as  they  are 
his  guests,  and  they  shall  have  pomegranates 
from  his  garden." 

Ahmes  often  spoke  thus,  and  so  Thais  learned 
the  truth.  She  admired  it,  and  said  : 

"  I  should  like  to  eat  the  pomegranates." 

Ahmes  answered  her : 

"  Only  those  who  are  baptised  in  Jesus  will 
taste  the  fruits  of  heaven." 

Thais  asked  to  be  baptised.  Seeing  by  this 
that  she  had  hope  in  Jesus,  the  slave  resolved 
to  instruct  her  more  deeply,  so  that  when 
baptised  she  might  enter  the  Church.  She 
attached  herself  closely  to  him  as  his  daughter 
in  the  Spirit. 

The  child,  repulsed  by  her  unjust  parents,  had 
no  bed  under  the  parental  roof.  She  slept  in  a 
corner  of  the  stable  among  the  animals.  There 
each  night  Ahmes  secretly  joined  her. 

He  gently  approached  the  straw  upon  which 
she  slept,  and  then  sat  down  on  his  heels  with 
his  legs  doubled  up  in  the  hereditary  attitude  of 
his  race.  His  black  body  and  face  were  lost  in 


74  THAIS 

the  darkness ;  his  great  white  eyes  shone,  and 
from  them  came  a  light  like  a  ray  of  dawn 
through  the  chinks  of  a  door.  He  spoke  in  a 
sad  chanting  voice,  having  the  sorrowful  sweet- 
ness of  music  heard  in  the  evening  in  the  streets. 
Sometimes  the  bray  of  a  donkey  or  the  soft 
lowing  of  an  ox  accompanied,  like  a  choir  of 
obscured  spirits,  the  voice  of  the  slave  as  he 
repeated  the  Gospel.  Out  of  the  darkness  came 
his  voice  impregnated  with  zeal,  grace  and  hope  ; 
and  the  neophyte,  her  hand  clasped  in  the  hand 
of  Ahmes,  soothed  by  these  monotonous  sounds 
and  the  vague  images  of  her  imagination,  slept, 
calm  and  smiling,  among  the  harmonies  of  the 
dark  night  and  the  mysterious  saints,  in  the 
beams  of  a  star  which  peeped  through  the 
cracks  of  the  stable. 

Her  initiation  lasted  an  entire  year,  till  the 
season  in  which  the  Christians  joyfully  keep 
the  Feast  of  the  Passover.  One  night  of  that 
glorious  week,  Thai's,  who  was  already  asleep 
upon  the  straw,  felt  herself  lifted  up  by  the 
slave,  whose  eyes  gleamed  with  a  new  light. 
He  was  not,  as  usual,  in  rags,  but  wore  a  long 
white  cloak,  beneath  which  he  clasped  the  child, 
saying  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  Come,  my  soul,  come,  mine  eyes !     Come, 


THE    PAPYRUS  75 

my  little  heart !  Come,  and  put  on  the  bap- 
tismal robe." 

He  carried  away  the  child  pressed  to  his 
breast.  Being  timid,  and  yet  curious,  Thai's, 
with  her  head  outside  the  cloak,  clasped  her 
hands  around  her  friend's  neck  as  he  carried  her 
out  into  the  darkness.  They  went  along  dark 
lanes  ;  traversed  the  Jewish  quarter  ;  and  passed 
a  cemetery,  from  which  the  sinister  cry  of  an 
osprey  proceeded.  They  passed  at  the  cross- 
roads beneath  crosses,  upon  which  hung  the 
bodies  of  executed  criminals,  upon  whose  arms 
croaking  ravens  were  perched.  Thais  hid  her 
head  in  the  slave's  breast.  She  dare  not  look 
again  during  the  rest  of  the  journey.  Suddenly 
it  seemed  to  her  as  if  they  were  descending 
underground.  When  she  opened  her  eyes 
she  found  herself  in  a  narrow  cave,  lit  by 
resin  torches,  the  walls  of  which  were  covered 
with  great  upright  covered  figures,  which  ap- 
peared animate  in  the  smoke.  There  were  men, 
clad  in  long  tunics,  bearing  palms  in  the  midst 
of  lambs,  doves,  and  vine  branches. 

Among  these  figures  Thais  recognised  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  because  anemones  blossomed  at 
his  feet.  In  the  midst  of  the  hall,  near  a 
great  stone  font  full  of  water  to  the  brim, 


76  THAIS 

stood  an  old  man  with  a  mitre  on  his  head, 
clad  in  a  scarlet  dalmatica  embroidered  with 
gold.  His  heavily  bearded  face  had  a  soft 
and  gentle  expression  in  spite  of  his  rich 
costume.  He  was  Bishop  Vivantius,  who, 
though  an  exiled  Prince  of  the  Church  of 
Cyrene,  gained  his  living  as  a  weaver  by 
making  coarse  goat's-hair  stuff.  Two  poor 
children  stood  upright  at  his  side.  Close  by 
stood  an  old  negress  with  a  small  white  robe 
in  her  hand.  Ahmes,  after  putting  down  the 
child,  knelt  before  the  Bishop  and  said  : 

"  Father,  here  is  the  little  soul,  the  daughter 
of  my  own  soul.  I  bring  her  to  you  so  that, 
according  to  your  promise,  if  it  seems  good  to 
you,  you  may  give  her  the  baptism  of  life." 

At  these  words  the  Bishop,  stretching  out 
his  arms,  displayed  his  mutilated  hands.  He 
had  had  his  fingers  torn  for  confessing  the 
faith  in  the  days  of  trial.  Thai's  was  afraid, 
and  fled  into  the  arms  of  Ahmes.  But  the 
priest  reassured  her  with  caressing  words. 

"  Fear  nothing,  beloved.  You  have  here  a 
spiritual  father  in  Ahmes,  who  is  called 
Theodore  among  the  faithful,  and  a  gentle 
mother  in  grace,  who  has  prepared  for  you  a 
white  robe  with  her  own  hands."  Turning 


THE   PAPYRUS  77 

towards  the  negress,  he  added  :  "  Her  name  is 
Nitida ;  she  is  a  slave  on  this  earth.  But 
Jesus,  in  heaven,  will  take  her  as  his  bride." 
Then  he  asked  the  young  neophyte :  "  Thai's, 
do  you  believe  in  God,  the  omnipotent  Father, 
in  his  only  Son  who  died  for  our  salvation, 
and  in  all  that  the  apostles  teach  ? " 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  negro  and  negress,  who 
were  holding  her  hands. 

Following  the  Bishop's  instructions,  Nitida 
knelt  down  and  stripped  Thai's  of  all  her 
clothing.  The  child  was  naked,  save  for  a 
charm  about  her  neck.  The  Bishop  dipped 
her  three  times  in  the  baptismal  font.  The 
acolytes  presented  the  oil  with  which  Vivantius 
anointed  her,  and  the  salt,  a  grain  of  which 
he  placed  upon  the  lips  of  the  catechumen. 
Then  after  drying  this  body,  which  was 
destined  after  many  trials  for  eternal  life, 
Nitida  dressed  her  in  the  white  robe  she  had 
herself  woven. 

The  Bishop  gave  all  of  them  the  kiss  of 
peace,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony 
removed  his  sacerdotal  ornaments. 

When  they  were  all  outside  the  crypt,  Ahmes 
said  : 

"  We  must  rejoice   to-day  because  we   have 


78  THAIS 

given  a  soul  to  the  Lord  ;  let  us  go  to  your 
house,  Pastor  Vivantius,  and  give  ourselves  up 
to  joy  for  the  rest  of  the  night." 

"  You  have  spoken  the  truth,  Theodore," 
replied  the  Bishop. 

He  led  the  little  party  to  his  house,  which 
was  quite  near.  It  consisted  of  a  single 
chamber  furnished  with  two  looms,  a  large 
table  and  a  well-worn  carpet.  As  soon  as 
they  entered,  the  Nubian  said  : 

"  Nitida,  bring  the  pan  and  jar  of  oil  and 
let  us  make  a  good  meal." 

As  he  spoke,  he  drew  from  beneath  his  cloak 
some  small  fish  he  had  hidden  there ;  then, 
lighting  a  large  fire,  he  began  to  cook  them. 
The  Bishop,  the  child,  the  two  boys  and  the 
two  slaves  sat  down  in  a  circle  upon  the  floor, 
and  ate  the  fish,  blessing  God  as  they  did  so. 

Vivantius  spoke  of  the  martyrdom  he  had 
suffered,  and  announced  the  Church's  approach- 
ing triumph.  His  language  was  rough,  but 
full  of  simile.  He  compared  the  life  of  the 
just  to  a  purple  cloth,  and  to  explain  baptism, 
he  said  : 

"  The  Holy  Spirit  floated  on  the  waters,  for 
which  reason  Christians  receive  the  baptism  of 
water.  But  demons  also  dwell  in  streams ; 


THE   PAPYRUS  79 

fountains  consecrated  to  nymphs  are  to  be 
feared,  and  we  see  that  certain  waters  occasion 
different  maladies  of  soul  and  body." 

Sometimes,  too,  he  expressed  himself  in 
enigma,  and  thus  inspired  the  child  with 
profound  admiration.  At  the  end  of  the 
meal  he  offered  a  little  wine  to  his  guests, 
whose  tongues  it  loosened  so  that  they  began 
to  sing  litanies  and  chants.  Ahmes  and 
Nitida  rose  and  danced  a  Nubian  dance 
which  they  had  learnt  as  children,  and  which, 
without  a  doubt,  had  been  danced  in  their 
tribe  since  the  beginning  of  the  world.  It 
was  a  dance  of  love ;  moving  the  arms  and 
body  in  rhythm,  they  feigned  alternately  to 
flee  and  follow.  They  rolled  their  eyes,  and 
showed  their  glistening  teeth  when  they 
smiled. 

In  this  way  Thais  received  the  Holy 
Baptism. 

She  loved  amusement,  and  as  she  grew 
vague  desires  were  born  in  her.  She  danced 
and  sang  all  day  with  the  wandering  children 
of  the  streets,  and  at  night  returned  to  her 
father's  house  still  singing. 

But  she  preferred  the  society  of  boys  and 
girls  to  that  of  gentle  Ahmes.  She  did  not 


8o  THAIS 

notice  that  her  friend  was  less  often  with  her 
Persecution  having  ceased,  the  assemblies  of 
the  Christians  became  more  regular,  and  the 
Nubian  always  attended.  His  zeal  became 
hotter ;  sometimes  mysterious  menaces  escaped 
his  lips.  He  said  that  the  rich  would  not 
keep  their  wealth.  He  went  to  those  public 
places  where  humble  Christians  were  wont  to 
assemble,  and  there  collected  the  wretches 
stretched  out  in  the  shade  of  the  walls,  and 
announced  to  them  the  freeing  of  slaves  and 
the  near  approach  of  Justice. 

"  In  the  realm  of  God,"  he  said,  "  slaves 
shall  drink  fresh  wine  and  eat  delicious  fruits, 
while  the  rich  shall  be  at  their  feet  like  dogs, 
and  devour  the  crumbs  from  their  table." 

These  ideas  did  not  remain  secret ;  they 
were  published  abroad  in  the  city,  and  masters 
feared  lest  Ahmes  should  excite  their  slaves 
to  revolt.  The  innkeeper,  too,  had  a  pro- 
found hatred  for  him,  which  he  carefully 
dissimulated. 

One  day  a  silver  salt-cellar,  reserved  for 
the  table  of  the  gods,  disappeared  from  the 
inn.  Ahmes  was  accused  of  stealing  it,  as  a 
mark  of  hatred  against  his  master  and  the 
gods  of  the  empire.  The  accusation  was  en- 


THE   PAPYRUS  81 

tirely  without  proof,  and  the  slave  denied  it 
with  all  his  strength.  None  the  less  he  was 
taken  before  the  Tribunal,  and,  as  he  was 
supposed  to  be  a  worthless  slave,  the  judge 
condemned  him  to  death. 

"  Your  hands,"  the  judge  said  to  him,  "  of 
which  you  have  not  made  good  use,  shall  be 
nailed  to  a  cross." 

Ahmes  listened  quietly  to  this  sentence, 
saluted  the  judge  with  great  respect,  and  was 
led  away  to  the  public  prison.  During  the 
three  days  he  was  confined  there  he  never 
ceased  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  prisoners, 
and  it  has  since  been  said  that  criminals,  and 
even  the  jailor  himself,  touched  by  his  words, 
believed  in  Christ  crucified. 

He  was  led  to  those  cross  roads  which 
one  night,  less  than  two  years  before,  he  had 
quickly  passed  bearing  beneath  his  white 
cloak  his  well  -  beloved  flower  Thais,  the 
daughter  of  his  soul.  When  his  hands  were 
nailed  to  the  cross  he  uttered  not  even  a 
groan,  only  several  times  he  said :  "  I  am 
thirsty  ! " 

His  penalty  lasted  three  days  and  three 
nights.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  believe  that 
human  flesh  could  endure  such  lengthy  torture. 
F 


82  THAIS 

Several  times  he  appeared  to  be  dead  ;  the 
flies  devoured  part  of  his  eyes  ;  but  suddenly 
he  would  raise  his  bleeding  eyelids.  On  the 
morning  of  the  fourth  day  he  smiled  and  said  : 

"  Here  are  the  angels  of  God  !  They  bring 
me  wine  and  fruit.  How  fresh  is  the  beating 
of  their  wings  !  " 

He  expired. 

In  death  his  face  retained  an  expression  of 
happy  ecstasy.  The  soldiers  who  guarded  the 
cross  were  filled  with  admiration.  Vivantius, 
accompanied  by  a  few  of  his  fellow-Christians, 
came  to  claim  the  body  for  burial  among  the 
remains  of  the  martyrs  in  the  crypt  of  St  John 
the  Baptist.  The  Church  guarded  in  veneration 
the  memory  of  St  Theodore  the  Nubian. 

Three  years  later  Constantine,  the  con- 
queror of  Maxentius,  published  an  edict  in 
which  he  assured  the  Christians'  peace,  and 
from  that  time  the  faithful  were  only  perse- 
cuted by  heretics. 

Thai's  was  eleven  years  old  when  her  friend 
was  tortured  to  death.  She  felt  sorrow  and 
invincible  fear.  Her  soul  was  not  sufficiently 
pure  to  understand  that  Ahmes,  by  his  life 
and  death,  was  a  happy  man.  The  idea 


THE   PAPYRUS  83 

sprung  up  in  her  little  soul  that  it  was  only 
possible  to  be  good  in  this  world  at  the  ex- 
pense of  frightful  suffering.  She  feared  to  be 
good,  for  her  delicate  flesh  feared  to  suffer. 

Before  she  came  of  age  she  had  lovers  in 
the  boys  of  the  harbour,  and  she  followed 
the  old  men,  who  wandered  in  the  evening  in 
the  outskirts  of  the  city ;  with  the  money  she 
received  she  bought  herself  jewels  and  clothing. 

As  she  did  not  take  home  any  of  the  money 
she  earned,  her  mother  ill  -  treated  her.  To 
avoid  her  mother's  blows  she  fled  with  bare 
feet  to  the  ramparts  of  the  city,  where  she 
hid  among  the  lizards  in  clefts  of  the  stones. 
There  she  thought  in  envy  of  the  richly- 
dressed  women  in  their  litters  surrounded  by 
slaves. 

One  day,  after  being  beaten  more  than 
usual,  she  was  crouching  near  the  gate,  when 
an  old  woman  stopped  in  front  of  her,  looked 
at  her  for  some  seconds,  and  then  said  : 

"  O  pretty  flower !  lovely  child  !  Happy  is 
the  father  who  begat  you  and  the  mother 
who  brought  you  into  the  world ! " 

Thai's  remained  silent,  with  her  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  ground.  Her  eyes  were  red  and 
showed  she  had  been  crying. 


84  THAIS 

"  My  white  violet,"  said  the  old  woman, 
"is  not  your  mother  fortunate  to  have  nursed 
a  little  goddess  like  you,  and  does  not  your 
father  rejoice  over  you  at  the  bottom  of  his 
heart  ? " 

Then  the  child,  as  if  speaking  to  herself, 
said :  "  My  father  is  a  drunkard  and  my 
mother  is  a  miser." 

The  old  woman  looked  to  right  and  left 
to  be  sure  that  no  one  was  watching  her. 
Then  in  a  caressing  voice  she  said  : 

"  Sweet  hyacinth,  come  with  me,  and  your 
life  shall  be  a  continuous  dance  and  smile. 
I  will  feed  you  with  honeycomb,  and  my 
son,  my  own  son,  will  love  you  as  his  own 
eyes.  My  son  is  beautiful,  he  is  young ;  he 
has  only  a  light  beard  upon  his  chin ;  his 
skin  is  soft." 

Thai's  replied  :  "  I  will  go  with  you." 

Getting  up,  she  followed  the  old  woman  out 
of  the  city. 

This  woman,  whose  name  was  Moeroe,  took 
from  place  to  place  girls  and  boys  whom  she 
taught  to  dance  and  afterwards  hired  out  to 
the  rich  to  appear  at  feasts. 

Seeing  that  Thais  would  soon  become  the 
most  beautiful  of  women,  she  taught  her 


THE   PAPYRUS  85 

music  by  means  of  a  whip,  and  lashed  her 
legs  with  leather  thongs  when  they  did  not 
rise  in  time  with  the  cithara.  Her  son,  who 
was  a  decrepit  abortion,  ageless  and  unsexed, 
ill-treated  this  girl,  as  if  he  were  pursuing  in 
her  the  entire  female  race  with  his  hatred. 
Being  a  rival  of  the  dancers,  whose  grace  he 
affected,  he  taught  Thai's  the  art  of  simulat- 
ing in  pantomime,  by  expression  of  face, 
gesture  and  attitude,  all  human  sentiments, 
and  especially  the  passions  of  love.  He,  as  if 
in  disgust,  gave  her  the  advice  of  a  skilled 
master ;  but,  jealous  of  his  pupil,  he  scratched 
her  cheeks,  pinched  her  arms,  or  pricked  her 
from  behind  with  a  needle,  as  naughty  girls 
do,  when  he  saw  too  clearly  that  she  was 
born  for  the  pleasure  of  men.  Thanks  to 
these  lessons,  she  became  in  a  short  time  a 
musician,  pantomime  and  an  excellent  dancer. 
The  harshness  of  her  master  did  not  surprise 
her,  for  it  seemed  natural  to  her  to  be  ill- 
treated.  She  even  felt  a  certain  amount  of 
respect  for  the  old  woman,  who  was  a 
musician,  and  drank  Greek  wine.  Moeroe, 
when  staying  at  Antioch  for  a  time,  hired  her 
pupil  as  dancer  and  flute-player  to  the  rich 
business  men  of  the  city,  who  were  giving 


86  THAIS 

feasts.  Thais  danced  and  pleased.  The  most 
vulgar  bankers  took  her,  after  leaving  the 
table,  to  the  groves  of  the  Orontes.  She 
gave  herself  to  all  without  knowing  the  price 
of  love.  But  one  night,  after  dancing  before 
the  most  elegant  young  men  in  the  city,  the 
son  of  the  Proconsul  approached  her,  glowing 
with  youth  and  pleasure,  and  said  to  her  in 
a  voice  which  seemed  moist  with  kisses : 

"  Why,  Thai's,  am  I  not  the  crown  which 
surrounds  your  hair,  the  tunic  which  presses 
upon  your  charming  body,  the  sandal  of  your 
beautiful  foot !  I  desire  you  to  tread  on  me 
with  your  feet  like  a  sandal  ;  I  desire  my 
caresses  to  be  your  tunic  and  your  crown. 
Come,  lovely  child,  come  to  my  home  and 
forget  the  world." 

She  looked  at  him  as  he  spoke,  and  s^w 
that  he  was  beautiful.  Suddenly  she  felt  the 
sweat  standing  on  her  forehead  ;  she  became 
green  as  the  grass ;  she  staggered — a  cloud 
descended  before  her  eyes.  But  she  refused 
to  follow  him.  His  ardent  looks  and  words 
of  love  were  all  in  vain,  and  when  he  took 
her  in  his  arms  to  force  her,  she  roughly 
repulsed  him.  Then  he  became  a  suppliant 
and  shed  tears.  Under  the  dominion  of  a 


THE   PAPYRUS  87 

new,  unknown  and  invincible  power,  she  re- 
sisted : 

"  What  folly  !  "  said  the  guests.  "  Lollius  is 
noble  ;  he  is  good-looking  and  rich,  and  yet 
a  flute-player  disdains  him." 

Lollius  returned  home  alone,  and  during  the 
night  became  eaten  up  with  love.  In  the 
morning  he  went,  pale  and  red-eyed,  and 
hung  flowers  upon  the  flute-player's  door. 
But  Thai's,  seized  with  trouble  and  affright, 
shunned  him.  She  suffered  and  did  not 
know  her  malady.  She  asked  herself  why 
she  had  thus  changed  and  whence  her  melan- 
choly came.  She  repulsed  all  her  lovers ; 
they  became  horrible  to  her.  She  did  not 
want  to  see  the  light,  and  remained  all  day 
reclining  on  her  bed,  sobbing  with  her  head 
in  the  pillows.  Lollius  found  out  a  means  of 
forcing  her  door,  and  came  many  times  to 
supplicate  and  curse  this  wayward  child.  She 
remained  in  his  presence  as  fearful  as  a 
maiden,  and  repeated  : 

"  I  will  not !     I  will  not !  " 

Then  at  the  end  of  a  fortnight  she  knew 
she  loved  him  ;  she  followed  him  to  his  home 
and  did  not  leave  him.  Theirs  was  a  delicious 
life.  They  spent  the  day  gazing  into  each 


88  THAI'S 

other's  eyes,  and  speaking  to  each  other  in 
the  way  that  children  do.  In  the  evenings 
they  walked  along  the  lonely  banks  of  the 
Orontes,  and  lost  themselves  in  the  laurel 
woods.  Sometimes  they  rose  at  dawn  to  go 
and  gather  hyacinths  upon  the  slopes  of  the 
Silpicus.  They  drank  out  of  the  same  cup, 
and  when  she  raised  a  grape  to  her  mouth, 
he  took  it  with  his  lips  from  between  her  lips. 

Moeroe  came  in  great  indignation  to  the 
house  of  Lollius  to  reclaim  Thai's. 

"  She  is  my  daughter,"  said  she,  "  whom 
you  have  taken  from  me,  my  perfumed  flower, 
flesh  of  my  flesh  !  " 

Lollius  sent  her  away  with  a  large  sum  of 
money.  But  as  she  returned,  demanding  still 
more  golden  staters,  the  young  man  had  her 
imprisoned,  and  as  the  magistrates  discovered 
several  crimes  of  which  she  was  guilty,  she 
was  condemned  to  death,  and  given  to  the 
wild  beasts. 

Thai's  loved  Lollius  with  all  the  fury  of  her 
imagination  and  surprise  of  her  innocence. 
She  said  to  him  from  the  bottom  of  her 
heart : 

"  I  have  always  been  yours." 

Lollius  replied  to  her : 


THE   PAPYRUS  89 

"You  are  like  no  other  woman." 

The  charm  lasted  for  six  months,  and  was 
broken  in  one  day.  Suddenly  Thai's  felt  her- 
self to  be  alone  and  empty.  She  no  longer 
recognised  Lollius  ;  she  thought : 

"  What  has  changed  him  thus  in  a  moment  ? 
How  is  it  that  he  is  like  all  other  men  and 
no  longer  like  himself?" 

She  left  him,  not  without  a  secret  desire  to 
find  Lollius  in  another,  since  she  could  no 
longer  find  him  in  himself.  She  thought,  too, 
that  life  with  a  person  whom  she  had  never 
loved  would  be  less  sad  than  with  a  person 
whom  she  no  longer  loved.  She  showed  her- 
self in  the  company  of  rich  pleasure-seekers 
at  those  sacred  fetes  where  choirs  of  naked 
females  danced  in  the  temples,  and  troops  of 
courtesans  swam  across  the  Orontes.  She 
took  part  in  all  the  pleasures  which  the 
elegant  monstrous  city  provided  ;  she  in 
particular  frequented  the  theatres,  in  which 
skilled  pantomimes  from  every  land  appeared 
amid  the  applause  of  a  spectacle-loving  audi- 
ence. 

She  carefully  observed  the  pantomimes, 
dancers,  actresses,  and  particularly  the  women 
who  represented  the  goddess- lovers  of  young 


90  THAI'S 

men  and  the  mortals  loved  by  the  gods  in 
the  tragedies.  After  discovering  the  secrets 
by  which  they  charmed  the  crowd  she  told 
herself,  as  she  was  more  beautiful  than  they, 
she  could  act  still  better.  She  went  to  the 
chief  of  the  pantomimes  and  asked  to  be 
allowed  to  join  his  troop.  Thanks  to  her 
beauty  and  the  lessons  she  had  received  from 
old  Moeroe,  she  was  admitted,  and  appeared 
upon  the  stage  as  Dirce. 

She  had  but  a  moderate  success,  as  she  lacked 
experience,  and  as  the  spectators  had  not  been 
excited  to  admiration  by  constant  praise  being 
showered  upon  her.  But  after  a  few  months 
of  obscure  parts  the  power  of  her  beauty  burst 
upon  the  stage  with  such  force  that  the  whole 
city  was  moved.  All  Antioch  crowded  to  the 
theatre.  The  Imperial  magistrates  and  chief 
citizens  went  there,  driven  by  the  force  of 
opinion.  The  porters,  sweepers  and  workmen 
deprived  themselves  of  garlic  and  bread  to  pay 
for  their  seats.  Poets  composed  epigrams  in 
her  honour.  Bearded  philosophers  declaimed 
against  her  at  the  bath  and  school  when 
her  litter  passed.  Christian  priests  turned 
their  heads.  The  threshold  of  her  house  was 
crowned  with  flowers  and  sprinkled  with  blood. 


THE   PAPYRUS  91 

She  received  from  her  lovers  untold  gold,  and 
all  the  treasures  amassed  by  the  careful  old 
men  flowed  like  rivers  to  her  feet.  Therefore 
her  soul  was  happy.  She  rejoiced  in  peaceful 
pride  at  public  favour  and  the  goodness  of  the 
gods,  and  being  loved  so  much  by  others  she 
loved  herself. 

After  enjoying  for  some  years  the  admira- 
tion and  love  of  Antioch,  she  had  a  desire  to 
revisit  Alexandria  and  show  her  glory  to  the 
city  in  which,  as  a  child,  she  wandered  in 
misery  and  shame,  famished  and  thin  as  a 
grasshopper  in  the  middle  of  a  dusty  road. 
The  'golden  city  received  her  with  joy  and 
showered  more  wealth  upon  her.  Her  appear- 
ance at  the  games  was  a  triumph.  Innumer- 
able admirers  and  lovers  came  to  her.  She 
received  them  carelessly,  for  at  last  she  de- 
spaired of  recovering  Lollius. 

She  received  among  many  others  the  philo- 
sopher Nicias,  although  he  professed  to  live 
without  desire.  In  spite  of  his  wealth,  he 
was  intelligent  and  gentle.  But  he  did  not 
charm  her  with  his  wonderful  wisdom  or  the 
grace  of  his  sentiments.  She  did  not  love 
him,  and  was  sometimes  even  irritated  by  his 
delicate  irony.  He  wounded  her  by  his  per- 


92  THAI'S 

petual  doubt.  He  believed  in  nothing,  she  in 
everything.  She  believed  in  divine  providence, 
the  omnipotence  of  evil  spirits,  fate,  incanta- 
tion and  eternal  justice.  She  believed  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  in  the  good  goddess  of  the  Syrians  ; 
she  believed,  too,  that  dogs  barked  when  black 
Hecate  passed  the  crossways,  and  that  a 
woman  could  inspire  love  by  pouring  a  philtre 
into  a  cup  containing  a  sheep's  bleeding  fleece. 
She  thirsted  for  the  unknown,  she  called  name- 
less beings,  and  lived  in  perpetual  expectancy. 
The  future  frightened  her  and  she  desired 
knowledge  of  it.  She  surrounded  herself  with 
priests  of  Isis,  Chaldean  magicians,  witch- 
doctors and  sorcerers,  who  always  deceived 
but  never  left  her.  She  feared  death,  and  saw 
it  everywhere.  When  she  yielded  to  pleasure, 
it  seemed  to  her  as  if  an  ice  -  cold  finger 
touched  her  naked  shoulder,  and,  turning  pale, 
she  shrieked  in  terror. 

"  What  does  it  matter,  Thais,"  Nicias  said 
to  her,  "  if  our  destiny  is  to  descend  with  white 
hair  and  wasted  cheeks  to  eternal  Night,  or 
this  day,  now  smiling  in  the  sunny  sky,  is  to 
be  our  last  ?  Let  us  taste  life !  We  shall 
live  long  if  we  feel  much.  There  is  no  other 
intelligence  than  that  of  the  senses :  love  is 


THE   PAPYRUS  93 

understanding.  That  of  which  we  are  ignor- 
ant, is  not  What  is  the  use  of  tormenting 
ourselves  for  naught?" 

She  answered  him  angrily : 

"  I  despise  those  who,  like  you,  neither  hope 
nor  fear.  I  desire  knowledge !  I  desire 
knowledge !  " 

To  discover  the  secret  of  life  she  began  to 
read  books  of  philosophy,  but  she  did  not 
understand  them.  The  further  the  years  of 
her  infancy  passed  from  her,  the  more  will- 
ingly she  recalled  them  to  her  mind.  She 
loved  to  traverse  in  disguise  the  lanes,  banks 
and  public  places,  where  she  had  grown  up  in 
misery.  She  regretted  the  loss  of  her  parents, 
and  particularly  the  fact  of  never  having  loved 
them.  When  she  met  Christian  priests,  she 
thought  of  her  baptism  and  felt  troubled.  One 
night  when,  enveloped  in  a  long  cloak,  with 
her  blonde  hair  hidden  beneath  a  dark  hood, 
she  was  wandering  as  usual  in  the  suburbs  of 
the  city,  -she  found  herself,  without  knowing 
why,  before  the  poor  church  of  St  John  the 
Baptist.  She  heard  singing  within,  and  saw 
a  brilliant  light  shining  through  the  cracks  of 
the  door.  There  was  nothing  strange  in  this, 
as  for  twenty  years  the  Christians,  protected 


94  THAlfS 

by  the  conqueror  of  Maxentius,  had  solem- 
nised their  feasts  in  public. 

But  these  chants  signified  an  ardent  appeal 
to  the  soul.  The  actress  pushed  open  the  door 
with  her  hand,  and  entered  as  a  guest  at  the 
mysteries.  She  found  a  numerous  assembly, 
women,  children,  and  old  men,  kneeling  before 
a  tomb  against  the  wall.  This  tomb  was 
simply  a  stone  font,  with  some  branches  and 
grapes  roughly  carved  upon  it ;  it  had,  how- 
ever, received  great  honour :  it  was  covered 
with  green  palms  and  crowned  with  red  roses. 
All  around  innumerable  lights  shone  out  of 
the  shadow,  in  which  the  smoke  of  Arabian 
gums  seemed  like  the  folds  of  angels'  robes. 
On  the  wall  were  figures  like  visions  from 
heaven.  Priests  clad  in  white  lay  prostrate 
at  the  foot  of  the  sarcophagus.  The  hymn 
which  these  priests  and  people  were  chant- 
ing, expressed  the  delights  of  suffering,  and 
mingled  in  a  triumphal  mourning  so  much 
joy  with  so  much  grief,  that  Thai's  while 
listening  to  them  felt  the  pleasures  of  life  and 
the  terrors  of  death  run  side  by  side  through 
her  reviving  senses. 

When  they  had  finished  singing,  the  faithful 
rose  to  go  and  kiss  one  by  one,  the  side  of 


THE    PAPYRUS  95 

the  tomb.  They  were  simple  men,  accus- 
tomed to  manual  work.  They  advanced  with 
heavy  tread,  set  eyes  and  drooping  mouth, 
with  an  air  of  candour.  They  knelt  in  turn 
before  the  sarcophagus  and  pressed  their  lips 
to  it.  The  women  lifted  in  their  arms  the 
little  children  and  placed  their  cheeks  gently 
against  the  stone.  Thais,  surprised  and  dis- 
turbed, asked  a  deacon  why  they  did  this. 

"  Do  you  not  know,  woman,"  replied  the 
deacon,  "that  to-day  we  celebrate  the  blessed 
memory  of  St  Theodore  the  Nubian,  who 
suffered  for  the  faith  in  the  days  of  the  Em- 
peror Diocletian.  He  lived  a  chaste  life  and 
died  a  martyr,  that  is  why,  clad  in  white,  we 
bear  red  roses  to  his  glorious  tomb." 

On  hearing  this  Thais  fell  on  her  knees  and 
burst  into  tears.  The  half  extinct  recollec- 
tion of  Ahmes  awoke  in  her  mind.  Upon  this 
obscure  memory,  gentle  and  painful  as  it  was, 
the  light  of  the  tapers,  the  perfume  of  the 
roses,  the  clouds  of  incense,  the  harmony  of 
the  chants,  and  the  piety  of  the  congregation 
threw  the  charms  of  glory.  Thais  thought : 

"  He  was  good,  and  here  he  is  great  and 
beautiful !  How  high  above  men  he  is  up- 
lifted !  What,  then,  is  this  unknown  thing, 


96  THAIS 

which  is  worth  more  than  wealth  and 
pleasure  ? " 

She  rose  slowly  and  turned  towards  the 
tomb  of  the  Saint,  who  had  loved  her  violet 
eyes,  in  which  tears  glistened  in  the  taper's 
light ;  then,  with  bent  head,  humble  and  slow, 
last  of  all,  with  the  lips  on  which  so  much 
desire  had  rested,  she  kissed  the  slave's  tomb. 

Returning  to  her  house,  she  found  Nicias 
waiting,  with  perfumed  hair  and  unfastened 
tunic,  and  reading  a  treatise  on  morality.  He 
advanced  to  meet  her  with  open  arms. 

"  Naughty  Thais,"  cried  he,  with  laughter 
in  his  voice,  "  while  you  delayed  coming,  do 
you  know  what  I  found  in  this  manuscript 
written  by  the  gravest  of  the  Stoics  ?  Precepts 
of  virtue  and  maxims  of  pride  ?  No !  upon 
the  austere  papyrus  I  saw  thousands  of  little 
Thai'ses.  They  were  each  as  high  as  a  finger, 
and  yet  their  grace  was  infinite  and  all  were 
the  one  Thai's.  Some  dragged  behind  them 
cloaks  of  purple' and  gold  ;  others,  like  a  white 
cloud,  floated  in  the  air  under  diaphanous  veils. 
Others,  motionless  and  divine  in  their  nudity, 
expressed  no  thought,  the  better  to  inspire 
pleasure.  Last  of  all  were  two  hand-in-hand, 
so  much  alike  that  it  was  impossible  to 


THE   PAPYRUS  97 

distinguish  one  from  the  other.  They  both 
smiled :  the  first  said :  "  I  am  love ;  the 
other :  I  am  death." 

As  he  said  this  he  clasped  Thai's  in  his  arms, 
and  without  seeing  the  fierce  glance  she  fixed 
upon  the  ground,  he  added  one  thought  to 
another,  careless  that  they  were  thrown  away 
upon  her. 

"  Yes,  when  I  was  reading  the  line  which 
says :  '  Nothing  must  turn  you  aside  from 
training  your  soul,'  I  read :  '  The  kisses  of 
Thais  are  more  ardent  than  flames  and  sweeter 
than  honey.'  That  is  the  way  in  which, 
through  your  fault,  naughty  child,  a  philosopher 
to-day  understands  works  of  philosophy.  It  is 
true  that,  all  that  we  are,  we  discover  our  own 
thoughts  only  in  those  of  other  people,  and 
read  the  books,  like  the  one  I  have  just  been 
reading,  a  little.  .  .  ." 

She  was  not  listening,  and  her  mind  was 
still  before  the  Nubian's  tomb.  As  he  heard 
her  sigh  he  kissed  her,  and  said  : 

"  Be  not  sad,  my  child.  The  only  happiness 
in  this  world  is  to  forget  it.  We  have  secrets 
for  that.  Come,  let  us  deceive  life  ;  it  is  well 
worth  deceiving.  Come  !  Let  us  love." 

She  repulsed  him,  crying  : 
G 


98  THAIS 

"  Love !  You  have  never  loved  anyone.  I 
do  not  love  you  !  No,  I  do  not  love  you  !  I 
hate  you !  Go  away !  I  hate  you !  I  hate 
and  despise  all  the  happy  and  the  rich !  Go 
away !  Go  away  !  .  .  .  There  is  no  goodness 
except  in  the  unfortunate.  When  I  was  a 
child,  I  knew  a  black  slave  who  was  crucified. 
He  was  good ;  he  was  full  of  love,  and  he 
possessed  the  secret  of  life.  You  would  not 
be  worthy  to  wash  his  feet.  Go  away !  I 
will  see  you  no  more." 

She  stretched  herself,  face  downwards,  upon 
the  floor  and  passed  the  night  in  sobs,  resolving 
henceforth  to  live  like  St  Theodore  in  poverty 
and  simplicity. 

On  the  morrow  she  returned  to  the  pleasures 
she  had  arranged.  As  she  knew  her  still 
immaculate  beauty  would  not  last  long,  she 
made  haste  to  obtain  all  possible  joy  and  glory 
from  it.  At  the  theatre,  where  she  performed 
with  more  care  than  ever,  she  brought  to  life 
the  imaginations  of  sculptors,  painters,  and 
poets.  Recognising  in  the  form,  attitude, 
movements  and  gait  of  the  actress  an  idea 
of  the  divine  harmony  which  rules  the  world, 
savants  and  philosophers  put  so  perfect  a  grace 
among  the  virtues,  and  said  "  Thais  is  a 


THE   PAPYRUS  99 

mathematician."  The  ignorant,  poor,  humble 
and  timid,  before  whom  she  consented  to 
appear,  blessed  her  for  her  celestial  charity. 
Still  she  was  sad  in  the  midst  of  praise,  and 
more  than  ever  feared  to  die.  Nothing  could 
dispel  her  uneasiness,  not  even  her  house  and 
gardens,  which  were  so  celebrated  as  to  be 
proverbial  in  the  city. 

She  had  planted  trees,  brought  at  great 
expense  from  India  and  Persia.  A  running 
stream  irrigated  them  and  ruined  colonnades, 
wild  rocks,  imitated  by  a  skilful  architect,  were 
reflected  in  a  lake  in  which  statues  gazed  at 
their  own  reflection.  In  the  midst  of  the 
garden  stood  the  Nymphs'  grotto,  which  owed 
its  name  to  three  great  waxen  female  figures 
which  stood  upon  the  threshold.  These  women 
were  undressing  themselves  to  take  a  bath. 
They  turned  their  heads  uneasily  for  fear  of 
being  seen,  and  appeared  to  be  alive.  Light 
only  entered  this  retreat  across  small  sheets  of 
water,  which  softened  and  coloured  it.  From 
the  walls  on  all  sides  hung,  as  in  the  sacred 
grotto,  crowns,  garlands  and  votive  pictures 
in  which  the  beauty  of  Thai's  was  celebrated. 
There  were,  too,  tragic  and  comic  masks  in 
bright  colours,  pictures  representing  either 


ioo  THAIS 

scenes  in  the  theatre,  grotesque  figures,  or 
fabulous  animals.  In  the  middle  stood  upon 
a  column  a  little  ivory  Eros,  of  ancient  and 
wonderful  workmanship.  It  was  a  gift  from 
Nicias.  A  black  marble  she-goat  stood  in  a 
hollow,  from  which  its  shining  agate  eyes 
could  be  seen.  Six  alabaster  kids  crowded 
around  its  teats  ;  but  raising  its  wild  feet  and 
flat  head  it  seemed  impatient  to  scramble 
among  the  rocks.  The  earth  was  covered  with 
Byzantine  tapestry,  pillows  embroidered  by 
the  yellow  men  of  Cathay  and  the  skins  of 
Lybian  lions.  Pans  of  perfume  smoked  im- 
perceptibly. At  the  back  of  all,  in  the  purple 
shadow,  shone  golden  nails  on  the  shell  of  a 
great  Indian  tortoise,  which,  reversed,  served 
as  the  great  actress'  bed.  There  each  day,  to 
the  murmur  of  the  waters,  among  the  perfume 
and  flowers,  Thais  reclined  in  comfort,  and 
while  awaiting  supper-time  talked  with  her 
friends  or  simply  thought,  either  of  the  busi- 
ness of  the  theatre,  or  the  flight  of  years. 

On  this  day  she  was  resting  after  the  theatre 
in  the  Nymphs'  grotto.  She  was  looking  in  her 
mirror  for  the  first  signs  of  her  beauty's  decline, 
and  thinking  with  fear  that  the  time  of  white 
hair  and  wrinkles  would  come.  In  vain  she 


THE    PAPYRUS  101 

tried  to  reassure  herself  by  saying  that  the 
burning  of  certain  herbs  to  the  words  of  a 
magic  formula  would  be  sufficient  to  bring 
back  her  freshness.  A  pitiless  voice  cried 
out  : 

"  You  will  grow  old,  Thai's,  you  will  grow 
old  !  " 

The  sweat  of  fear  froze  upon  her  forehead. 
Then  as  she  looked  once  more  tenderly  in 
her  mirror  and  found  herself  still  beautiful 
and  worthy  of  love,  smiling  to  herself,  she 
murmured  :  "  There  is  not  in  Alexandria  a 
single  woman  who  can  compare  with  me  in 
suppleness  of  figure,  grace  of  movement,  and 
magnificence  of  arms,  and  the  arms,  O  my 
mirror,  are  the  true  chains  of  love ! " 

As  she  thought  thus  she  saw  an  unknown 
standing  before  her,  with  burning  eyes  and  un- 
kempt beard,  and  clad  in  a  richly  broidered 
robe.  Dropping  her  mirror,  she  screamed  out 
in  affright. 

Paphnutius  stood  motionless,  and,  seeing  her 
beauty,  in  the  bottom  of  his  soul  offered  up 
this  prayer : 

"  O  God,  grant  that  this  woman's  face,  instead 
of  scandalising,  may  edify  thy  servant." 

Then,  forcing  himself  to  speak,  he  said  : 


102  THAIS 

"Tha'fs,  I  dwell  in  a  far-off  land,  and  the  re- 
nown of  your  beauty  has  led  me  to  you.  Report 
says  that  you  are  the  most  skilful  of  actresses 
and  the  most  irresistible  of  women.  The  tales 
of  your  wealth  and  your  loves  seem  fabulous, 
and  recall  Rhodopis  of  old,  whose  wonderful 
history  all  the  boatmen  of  the  Nile  knew  by 
heart.  Therefore  I  have  been  seized  with  a 
desire  to  know  you,  and  I  see  that  the  truth 
even  exceeds  the  report.  You  are  a  thousand 
times  wiser  and  more  beautiful  than  you  are 
reported.  And  now  that  I  see  you,  I  say  to 
myself,  '  It  is  impossible  to  approach  her 
without  staggering  like  a  drunken  man.'" 

These  were  mocking  words  ;  but  the  monk, 
animated  with  pious  zeal,  uttered  them  with  real 
ardour.  But  Thai's  looked  without  displeasure 
upon  this  strange  being  who  had  made  her 
afraid.  Paphnutius  astonished  her  by  his  rough 
and  savage  appearance  and  his  sombre  glances 
charged  with  fire.  She  was  curious  to  know 
the  state  and  life  of  a  man  so  different  from  all 
she  knew.  She  replied,  gently  mocking  him  : 

"  You  seem  quick  to  admire,  stranger.  Take 
care  my  looks  do  not  consume  you  to  the  bone ! 
Take  care  to  love  me  !  " 

He  said  to  her  : 


THE   PAPYRUS  103 

"  I  love  you,  Tha'fs !  I  love  you  more  than 
my  life  and  more  than  myself.  For  you  I  have 
left  my  dear  desert ;  for  you  my  lips,  vowed 
to  silence,  have  spoken  profane  words  ;  for  you 
I  have  seen  what  I  ought  not  to  have  seen,  I 
have  heard  what  I  was  forbidden  to  hear ;  for 
you  my  soul  is  troubled,  my  heart  is  open  and 
thoughts  have  gushed  out  from  it,  like  the 
running  streams  at  which  doves  drink  ;  for  you 
I  have  walked  day  and  night  across  the  sands 
of  the  desert  peopled  with  worms  and  vam- 
pires ;  for  you  I  have  put  my  naked  foot  on 
vipers  and  scorpions !  Yes,  I  love  you,  not 
as  those  men  who,  inflamed  with  carnal  desire, 
come  to  you  as  devouring  wolves  or  raging 
bulls.  You  are  dear  to  them  as  the  gazelle 
is  to  the  lion.  Their  carnal  love  is  devouring 
your  soul,  woman  !  I  love  you  in  spirit  and 
in  truth,  I  love  you  in  God  for  ever  and  ever  ; 
the  feeling  in  my  breast  for  you  is  called  real 
ardour  and  divine  charity.  I  promise  you  some- 
thing better  than  flowery  drunkenness  and  the 
dreams  of  a  brief  night.  I  promise  you  holy 
love-feasts  and  celestial  marriage.  The  felicity 
I  bring  you  will  never  end  ;  it  is  unthinkable  ; 
it  is  ineffable,  and  such  that,  if  those  who  are 
fortunate  in  this  world  could  only  see  a  shadow 


104  THAIS 

of  it,  they  would  immediately  die  of  astonish- 
ment." 

Thai's  laughed  with  the  air  of  an  unbeliever. 

"  Friend,"  said  she,  "  show  me  this  marvellous 
love.  Hasten ;  too  long  speeches  injure  my 
beauty,  do  not  lose  a  moment !  I  am  impatient 
to  know  this  happiness  you  announce ;  but,  to 
tell  you  the  truth,  I  am  afraid  that  I  shall  never 
know  it,  and  that  your  promises  will  end  in 
mere  words.  It  is  easier  to  promise  a  great 
happiness  than  to  give  it.  Each  has  his  talent. 
I  believe  yours  is  discovery.  You  speak  of  an 
unknown  love.  So  long  have  kisses  been  ex- 
changed that  it  would  be  very  extraordinary 
were  there  still  any  love-secrets.  On  this 
subject  lovers  know  more  than  magicians." 

"  Thai's,  do  not  mock.  I  am  bringing  you 
the  unknown  love."  cu 

"  Friend,  you  are  late.     I  know  all  love." 

"  The  love  I  bring  you  is  full  of  glory,  while 
the  loves  you  know  are  born  in  shame." 

Thai's  looked  at  him  with  an  angry  expres- 
sion, and  a  hard  line  across  her  little  forehead. 

"  You  are  bold,  stranger,  to  offend  your 
hostess.  Look  at  me,  and  tell  me  if  I  resemble 
a  creature  of  shame.  No !  I  am  not  ashamed, 
nor  all  those  who  live  as  I  do,  although  they 


THE   PAPYRUS  105 

may  be  less  beautiful  and  rich  than  I.  I  have 
sown  pleasure  in  all  my  steps,  and  for  that  I 
am  known  throughout  the  world.  I  have  more 
power  than  the  masters  of  the  world.  I  have 
seen  them  at  my  feet.  Look  at  me,  look  at 
these  little  feet ;  thousands  of  men  would  pay 
with  their  blood  for  the  pleasure  of  kissing 
them.  I  am  not  very  great  and  do  not  hold 
much  of  a  place  upon  earth.  To  those  who 
see  me  from  the  top  of  the  Serapeum  when  I 
pass  in  the  street,  I  resemble  a  grain  of  rice ; 
but  this  grain  of  rice  among  men  has  caused 
mourning,  despair,  hate  and  crimes  enough  to 
fill  Tartarus.  Am  I  not  mad  to  speak  of 
shame,  when  everything  around  me  shouts  of 
glory?" 

"  Glory  in  men's  eyes  is  infamy  before  God. 
Woman,  we  have  been  nursed  in  countries  so 
different  that  it  is  not  surprising  that  neither 
our  language  nor  our  thoughts  are  the  same. 
But  heaven  is  my  witness  that  I  desire  to 
agree  with  you,  and  my  plan  is  not  to  leave 
you  until  our  sentiments  are  the  same.  Who 
will  inspire  me  with  burning  words,  which  shall 
make  you  melt  like  wax  at  my  breath,  woman, 
and  allow  the  fingers  of  my  desire  to  model 
you  according  to  their  taste?  What  virtue 


106  THAIS 

will  deliver  you  to  me,  O  dearest  of  souls, 
so  that  the  spirit  animating  me  may  create 
you  a  second  time,  impress  a  new  beauty  upon 
you,  and  make  you  cry  in  tears  of  joy :  '  To- 
day, indeed,  is  the  day  of  my  birth  ! '  Who  will 
make  a  fountain  of  Siloe  flow  from  my  heart, 
in  which,  after  bathing,  you  shall  find  your 
primal  purity?  Who  will  change  me  into  a 
Jordan,  whose  waters,  overflowing  you,  shall 
give  you  eternal  life  ?  " 

Thai's  was  angry  no  more. 

"  This  man,"  she  thought,  "  speaks  of  eternal 
life,  and  all  he  says  seems  written  upon  a 
talisman.  There  is  no  doubt  that  he  is  a 
magician,  and  has  secrets  against  old  age  and 
death." 

She  resolved  to  offer  herself  to  him  ;  so, 
feigning  to  fear  him,  she  stepped  back 
some  paces,  and,  retiring  to  the  back  of  the 
grotto,  sat  down  upon  the  edge  of  the  bed, 
skilfully  replacing  her  tunic  upon  her  breast, 
and  then,  motionless  and  mute,  she  waited 
with  downcast  eyes.  Her  long  lashes  cast  a 
gentle  shadow  on  her  cheeks.  Her  attitude 
expressed  shame ;  her  naked  feet  hung  down, 
and  she  resembled  a  dreaming  child  sitting 
upon  the  bank  of  a  river. 


THE   PAPYRUS  107 

But  Paphnutius  looked  at  her,  and  did  not 
move.  His  trembling  knees  could  no  longer 
support  him  ;  his  tongue  was  parched  in  his 
mouth  ;  a  frightful  tumult  arose  in  his  brain. 
Suddenly  his  look  was  veiled,  and  he  saw 
before  him  nothing  but  a  thick  cloud.  He 
thought  that  the  hand  of  Jesus  had  been 
been  placed  before  his  eyes  to  conceal  the 
woman  from  him.  Reassured  by  such  aid  as 
this,  made  strong,  and  fortified,  he  said,  with 
a  gravity  worthy  of  a  hermit  of  the  desert : 

"  If  you  give  yourself  to  me  do  you  think 
you  will  be  concealed  from  God  ? " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  God  !  who  forces  him  always  to  have  his 
eye  upon  the  Nymphs'  grotto?  Let  him 
retire  if  we  offend  him !  But  why  should  we 
offend  him  ?  Since  he  has  created  us  he  can 
be  neither  angry  nor  surprised  to  see  us  such 
as  he  has  made  us,  and  acting  according  to 
the  nature  he  has  given  us.  Too  much  is 
often  said  for  him,  and  ideas  borrowed  which 
he  has  never  had.  Know  his  real  character  ? 
Who  are  you  to  speak  to  me  in  his  name  ? " 

At  the  question  the  monk,  half  opening  his 
borrowed  garment,  showed  his  robe  and  said  : 

"  I  am  Paphnutius,  priest  of  Antinoe,  and  I 


io8  THAIS 

come  from  the  holy  desert.  The  hand  which 
took  away  Abraham  from  Chaldaea  and  Lot 
from  Sodom  has  separated  me  from  the  world. 
I  exist  no  more  for  men.  But  your  image 
appeared  to  me  in  my  Jerusalem  of  sand, 
and  I  knew  that  you  were  full  of  corruption, 
and  that  in  you  was  death.  Here  am  I 
before  you,  woman,  as  before  a  sepulchre, 
and  I  cry  :  '  Thais,  arise.' " 

At  the  name  of  Paphnutius,  and  the  words 
monk  and  priest,  she  had  paled  in  fear.  Then, 
her  hair  dishevelled,  she  crawled  with  clasped 
hands  to  the  holy  man's  feet,  weeping  and 
groaning  : 

"  Do  me  no  ill !  Why  have  you  come  ? 
What  do  you  desire?  Do  me  no  ill!  I 
know  that  the  holy  men  of  the  desert  detest 
the  women  who,  like  myself,  are  made  to 
please.  I  am  afraid  you  hate  me,  and  wish 
to  injure  me.  Go !  I  do  not  doubt  your 
power  ;  but  understand,  Paphnutius,  you  must 
neither  despise  nor  hate  me.  I  have  never, 
like  so  many  men  I  know,  laughed  at  your 
willing  poverty.  In  your  turn  do  not  make 
my  wealth  a  crime.  I  am  beautiful,  and  a 
clever  actress.  I  have  no  more  chosen  my 
condition  than  I  have  my  nature.  I  was 


THE   PAPYRUS  109 

made  for  what  I  am.  I  was  born  to  charm 
men.  But  you  just  now  said  you  loved  me. 
Do  not  use  your  science  against  me.  Do 
not  pronounce  magic  words  which  will  destroy 
my  beauty  or  change  me  into  a  pillar  of  salt. 
Do  not  frighten  me !  I  am  already  very 
much  afraid.  Do  not  make  me  die !  I  fear 
death  so  much." 

He  signed  to  her  to  rise,  and  said  : 
"  Child,  be  reassured.  I  will  not  treat  you 
with  hatred  and  contempt.  I  come  to  you 
on  behalf  of  him  who,  sitting  on  the  borders 
of  the  well,  drank  from  the  pitcher  which  the 
Samaritan  woman  offered  him,  and  who,  when 
he  supped  at  Simon's  house,  received  perfumes 
from  Mary.  I  am  not  sinless  that  I  may 
throw  the  first  stone  at  you.  I  have  often 
ill  employed  the  abundant  graces  God  has 
given  me.  It  is  not  anger  ;  it  is  pity  which 
has  taken  me  by  the  hand  to  lead  me  to 
you.  I  have  been  able,  without  lying,  to 
approach  you  with  words  of  love,  for  it  is 
the  zeal  of  my  heart  which  led  me  to  you. 
I  am  consumed  with  the  fire  of  charity,  and 
if  your  eyes,  accustomed  to  the  gross  spectacles 
of  the  flesh,  could  see  things  in  their  mystic 
aspect,  I  should  appear  to  you  as  a  branch 


no  THAIS 

torn  from  the  burning  bush,  which  God  showed 
on  the  mountain  to  Moses,  to  make  him  under- 
stand true  love  —  that  love  which  inflames 
without  consuming  us,  and  which,  far  from 
leaving  behind  it  embers  and  ashes,  embalms 
and  perfumes  for  ever  all  it  penetrates." 

"  Monk,  I  believe  you,  and  no  longer  fear 
snare  or  hurt  from  you.  I  have  often  heard 
tell  of  the  hermits  of  the  Thebaid.  The 
stories  I  have  heard  of  the  lives  of  Anthony 
and  Paul  are  marvellous.  Your  name  was 
not  unknown  to  me,  and  I  have  been  told 
that,  though  still  young,  you  equal  in  virtue 
the  oldest  anchorite.  From  what  I  saw  of 
you,  without  knowing  who  you  were,  I  felt 
you  were  not  an  ordinary  man.  Tell  me, 
can  you  .do  for  me  what  neither  the  priests 
of  Isis,  the  priests  of  Hermes,  the  priests  of 
Celestial  Juno,  the  Chaldean  magicians,  nor 
the  Babylonian  sorcerers  can  do?  Monk,  if 
you  love  me,  can  you  prevent  me  from 
dying  ?  " 

"  Woman,  those  will  live  who  wish  to  live. 
Shun  the  abominable  delights  in  which  are 
eternal  death.  Snatch  from  the  demons,  who 
would  dreadfully  burn  it,  the  body  which 
God  made  and  animated  with  his  breath. 


THE    PAPYRUS  in 

Consumed  with  fatigue  as  you  are,  come  and 
refresh  yourself  at  the  blessed  springs  of 
solitude  ;  come  and  drink  at  those  fountains 
concealed  in  the  desert,  which  flow  from 
heaven.  Anxious  soul,  at  last  come  and 
possess  your  desire !  Heart,  greedy  of  joy, 
come  arid  taste  real  joy,  poverty,  renunciation, 
self-oblivion,  abandonment  of  the  whole  being 
in  God's  breast.  Enemy  of  the  Christ,  and 
to-morrow  his  well-beloved,  come  to  him. 
Come,  you  who  sought,  and  you  shall  say, 
'  I  have  found  love  ! ' ' 

But  Thai's  seemed  to  contemplate  things 
afar  off: 

"  Monk,"  asked  she,  "  if  I  renounce  my 
pleasures  and  do  penitence,  is  it  true  that  I 
shall  be  born  again  in  heaven,  with  my  body 
intact  in  all  its  beauty?" 

"  Thai's,  I  bring  you  eternal  life.  Believe 
me,  for  what  I  announce  is  true." 

"Who  guarantees  me  that  it  is  true?" 

"  David  and  the  prophets,  the  Scriptures 
and  the  marvels  which  you  shall  witness." 

"  Monk,  I  would  believe  you.  For  I  admit 
I  have  not  found  happiness  in  this  world. 
My  lot  was  better  than  a  queen's,  and  yet 
life  has  brought  me  much  sorrow  and  suffer- 


H2  THAIS 

ing,  and  I  am  infinitely  weary  of  it.  All 
women  envy  my  destiny,  and  I  sometimes 
envy  the  lot  of  the  old  toothless  woman 
who,  when  I  was  little,  sold  honeycomb  at  the 
City  gate.  The  idea  has  come  to  me  many 
times  that  only  the  poor  are  good,  happy, 
and  blessed,  and  that  there  is  a  great  solace 
in  lowly  and  humble  life.  Monk,  you  have 
removed  the  billows  from  my  soul  and  made 
rise  to  the  surface  that  which  slept  at  the 
bottom.  What  am  I  to  believe,  alas !  and 
what  shall  I  become,  and  what  is  life  ? " 

While  she  spoke  thus,  Paphnutius  was 
transfigured  ;  a  celestial  joy  spread  over  his 
face. 

"  Listen,"  said  he,  "  I  have  not  entered  your 
dwelling  alone.  Another  accompanied  me, 
another  who  is  standing  here  at  my  side. 
Him  you  cannot  see,  because  your  eyes  are 
still  unworthy  to  contemplate  him  ;  but  soon 
you  will  see  him  in  his  charming  splendour 
and  say:  'he  alone  is  lovable!'  Just  now,  if 
he  had  not  placed  his  soft  hand  over  my  eyes, 
Thai's,  I  should  perhaps  have  committed  sin 
with  you,  for  I  am  myself  but  weakness  and 
trouble.  But  he  has  saved  both  of  us ;  he  is 
as  good  as  he  is  powerful,  and  his  name  is 


THE    PAPYRUS  113 

Saviour.  He  was  promised  to  the  world  by 
David  and  the  Sybil,  adored  in  his  cradle  by 
the  shepherds  and  magicians,  crucified  by  the 
Pharisees,  buried  by  the  holy  women,  revealed 
to  the  world  by  the  apostles,  and  attested  by 
the  martyrs.  Learning  that  you  fear  death, 
woman,  I  am  here  in  your  house  come  to 
prevent  you  from  death !  Didst  thou  not, 
Jesus,  appear  to  me  at  that  moment,  as  thou 
appearedst  to  the  men  of  Galilee  in  those  days 
of  wonder,  when  the  stars,  descending  with 
thee  from  heaven,  were  so  near  the  earth  that 
the  holy  innocents  could  seize  them  in  their 
hands  as  they  played  in  their  mothers'  arms 
upon  the  terraces  of  Bethlehem.  Are  we  not, 
Jesus,  in  thy  company,  and  art  thou  not 
showing  us  the  reality  of  thy  precious  body  ? 
Is  not  thy  face  there  and  the  tear  running 
down  thy  cheek  a  real  tear?  Yes,  the  angel 
of  eternal  justice  will  receive  it,  and  it  shall 
be  the  ransom  for  the  soul  of  Thai's.  Art 
thou  not  there,  Jesus  ?  Thy  adorable  lips  are 
open.  Thou  canst  speak  ;  speak,  I  am  listen- 
ing. And  you,  Thai's,  happy  Thai's,  listen  to 
what  the  Saviour  himself  says  to  you  ;  he 
speaks,  not  I.  He  says :  '  I  have  sought  you 
long,  my  wandering  sheep !  I  have  found  you 
H 


ii4  THAIS 

at  last.  Fly  from  me  no  more.  Take  my  hands, 
poor  little  one,  and  I  will  bear  you  on  my 
shoulders  to  the  heavenly  fold.  Come,  Tha'i's, 
come,  my  elect,  come  and  weep  with  me!" 

Paphnutius  fell  on  his  knees  in  ecstasy. 

Then  Thai's  saw  upon  his  face  the  reflection 
of  the  living  Jesus. 

"  O  past  days  of  my  childhood  ! "  she  said 
through  her  sobs,  "  O  my  gentle  father  Ahmes, 
good  St  Theodore,  why  had  I  not  died  in 
your  white  robe  while  you  carried  me  away 
in  the  dawn,  fresh  from  the  baptismal  water ! " 

Paphnutius  sprang  towards  her,  saying : 

"  You  are   baptised  !  .  .  .  O  divine  wisdom  ! 

0  Providence !      O  good  God !     I   now  know 
the   power   which    attracted    me   towards   you. 

1  know  what  rendered  you  so  dear  and  beautiful 
in  my  eyes.     It  is  the  virtue  of  the  baptismal 
water,   which    made   me   leave   the   shadow   of 
God,    where     I     lived,    to    seek     you     in     the 
poisoned   atmosphere   of  the  world.      A  drop, 
doubtless,   of  the   water   which   baptised   your 
body,  splashed  upon   my  forehead.     Come,  my 
sister,  and  receive  from  your  brother  the  kiss 
of  peace." 

The  monk  placed  his  lips  upon  the  courte- 
san's forehead. 


THE    PAPYRUS  115 

Then  he  became  silent,  leaving  God  to  speak, 
and  there  was  no  sound  in  the  Nymphs'  grotto 
but  the  sobs  of  Thai's  mingled  with  the  song 
of  the  running  water. 

She  wept  without  drying  her  tears,  when 
her  black  slave  came  in  laden  with  stuffs, 
perfumes,  and  garlands. 

"  It  is  scarcely  right  to  weep,"  said  she, 
trying  to  smile.  "  Tears  sodden  the  eyes  and 
spoil  their  tint.  I  must  sup  to-night  with 
friends,  and  I  desire  to  be  beautiful,  for  there 
will  be  women  there  who  will  notice  my  tired 
face.  These  slaves  come  to  dress  me.  Retire, 
my  father,  and  let  them  do  so.  They  are 
skilled  and  adroit ;  so  I  had  to  pay  very  dearly 
for  them.  Look  at  this  one  who  has  large 
golden  rings  and  shows  her  white  teeth.  Her 
I  bought  from  the  Proconsul's  wife." 

Paphnutius  at  first  thought  of  opposing  with 
all  his  might  the  idea  of  Thai's  going  to  this 
supper.  But,  determined  to  act  prudently,  he 
asked  whom  she  would  meet  there. 

She  replied  that  she  would  see  the  host,  old 
Gotta,  prefect  of  the  fleet,  Nicias,  and  several 
other  philosophers,  the  poet  Callicrates,  the 
high  priest  of  Serapis,  rich  young  men  especi- 
ally interested  in  horse-breeding ;  and,  lastly, 


ii6  THAIS 

women  about  whom  nothing  could  be  said, 
and  whose  youth  was  their  only  virtue. 

Then,  by  a  supernatural  inspiration  : 

"  Go  among  them,  Thais,"  said  the  monk  ; 
"  go !  But  I  will  not  leave  you.  I  will  go 
with  you  to  this  feast,  and  sit  silently  at 
your  side." 

She  burst  out  laughing.  And  while  the 
two  slaves  busied  themselves  around  her,  she 
said  : 

"  What  will  they  say  when  they  see  that 
I  have  a  monk  of  the  Thebaid  for  a  lover?" 


THE    BANQUET 

WHEN,  followed  by  Paphnutius,  Thai's  entered 
the  banqueting  hall,  the  guests  were,  for  the 
most  part,  already  reclining  upon  couches  before 
the  horseshoe  -  shaped  table,  covered  with 
glittering  plate.  In  the  centre  of  the  table 
was  a  silver  basin,  surmounted  by  four  Satyrs 
inclining  leathern  bottles,  from  which  flowed 
upon  boiled  fish  the  sauce  in  which  they  swam. 
At  the  appearance  of  Thais  acclamations  arose 
from  all  sides. 

"  Greeting  to  the  sister  of  Charites  ! " 


THE    PAPYRUS  117 

"  Greeting  to  the  silent  Melpomene,  whose 
glances  can  express  everything  !  " 

"  Greeting  to  the  well  beloved  of  gods  and 
men ! " 

"  To  the  greatly  desired  one  !  " 

"  To  her,  who  gives  suffering  and  its  cure  !  " 

"  To  the  pearl  of  Racotes  !  " 

"  To  the  rose  of  Alexandria  !  " 

She  waited  impatiently  till  this  torrent  of 
praise  had  ceased  ;  and  then  she  said  to  Cotta, 
her  host : 

"  Lucius,  I  have  brought  you  a  monk  of  the 
desert,  Paphnutius,  priest  of  Antinoe  ;  he  is  a 
holy  man,  whose  words  burn  like  fire." 

Lucius  Aurelius  Cotta,  prefect  of  the  fleet, 
rose,  saying : 

"  Welcome,  Paphnutius,  you  who  profess  the 
Christian  faith.  I  have  respect  for  a  cult,  hence- 
forth imperial.  The  divine  Constantine  placed 
your  co-religionists  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
Empire's  friends.  Latin  wisdom,  in  fact,  ought 
to  admit  your  Christ  into  our  Pantheon. 
There  is  a  maxim  of  our  fathers  which  says 
that  every  god  has  something  divine  in  him. 
But  let  us  leave  that.  Let  us  drink  and  be 
glad  while  there  is  yet  time." 

Old  Cotta  said   this  with  serenity.     He  had 


n8  THAIS 

just  been  studying  the  model  of  a  new  galley 
and  completing  the  sixth  volume  of  his  history 
of  the  Carthaginians.  Sure  that  he  had  not 
wasted  the  day,  he  was  content  with  himself 
and  the  gods. 

"  Paphnutius,  you  see  here  several  men 
worthy  of  love.  Hermodorus,  High  Priest 
of  Serapis,  the  philosopher  Dorion,  Nicias 
and  Zenothemis,  the  poet  Callicrates,  young 
Chaereas  and  Aristobulus,  both  sons  of  a  dear 
comrade  of  my  youth ;  and  near  them  are 
Philinna  and  Drosea,  who  must  be  greatly 
admired  for  their  beauty." 

Nicias  embraced  Paphnutius,  and  said  in  his 
ear : 

"  I  warned  you,  my  friend,  that  Venus  was 
powerful.  Her  gentle  violence  has  brought  you 
here  in  spite  of  yourself.  Listen,  you  are  a 
very  pious  man,  but  if  you  do  not  recognise 
her  as  the  mother  of  the  gods,  your  ruin  is 
certain.  The  old  mathematician  Melanthus 
used  to  say :  '  I  could  not  demonstrate  the 
properties  of  a  triangle  without  the  aid  of 
Venus.' " 

Dorion,  who  for  some  minutes  had  been  look- 
ing at  the  new-comer,  suddenly  clapped  his 
hands  and  uttered  cries  of  admiration. 


THE    PAPYRUS  119 

"  It  is  he,  friends !  His  look,  his  beard,  his 
tunic :  it  is  the  man  himself.  I  met  him  at 
the  theatre  while  Thais  was  displaying  her 
skilful  arms.  He  was  greatly  moved,  and  I 
can  bear  witness  that  he  spake  with  vehe- 
mence. He  is  an  honourable  man :  he  will 
curse  us  ;  his  eloquence  is  terrible.  If  Marcus 
is  the  Plato  of  the  Christians,  Paphnutius  is 
the  Demosthenes.  Epicurus,  in  his  little 
garden,  never  heard  anything  like  it." 

Philinna  and  Drosea,  however,  were  devour- 
ing Thai's  with  their  eyes.  She  wore  on  her 
blonde  hair  a  crown  of  pale  violets,  each 
flower  of  which  revealed,  in  a  feeble  way,  the 
colour  of  her  eyes,  so  much  so,  that  the 
flowers  seemed  half-hidden  glances  and  the 
eyes  sparkling  flowers.  It  was  this  woman's 
gift :  on  her  everything  lived,  everything  was 
soul  and  harmony.  Her  mauve  robe,  em- 
broidered with  silver  wire,  had  in  its  long 
folds  a  grace  almost  sad  and  unrelieved  by 
bracelets  or  necklace,  and  all  the  glory  of  her 
attire  was  in  her  neck  and  arms.  While  ad- 
miring, in  spite  of  themselves,  the  robe  and 
coiffure  of  Thais,  her  two  friends  did  not 
speak  to  her  of  them. 

"  How    beautiful    you    are,"    said     Philinna. 


120  THAI'S 

"  You  could  not  have  been  more  beautiful 
when  you  came  to  Alexandria.  But,  my 
mother,  who  remembers  seeing  you  then,  said 
that  few  women  were  worthy  of  comparison 
with  you." 

"  Who  then,"  asked  Drosea,  "  is  this  new 
lover  of  yours  ?  He  has  a  wild  appearance. 
If  there  were  elephant  keepers,  surely  they 
would  be  made  like  him.  Where  did  you 
find,  Thais,  such  a  fierce  friend  ?  Was  it 
not  among  the  cave-dwellers,  who  live  under 
the  earth  and  are  tinged  by  the  smoke  of 
Hades?" 

But  Philinna  placing  her  finger  upon  Drosea's 
mouth,  said  : 

"  Be  quiet,  the  mysteries  of  love  remain 
secrets  and  their  knowledge  is  forbidden.  For 
myself,  I  would  rather  be  kissed  by  the  mouth 
of  smoking  Etna  than  by  this  man's  lips. 
But  our  sweet  Thais,  who  is  as  beautiful 
and  adorable  as  a  goddess,  must,  like  a  god- 
dess, grant  all  prayers,  and  not,  as  we  do, 
only  those  of  lovable  men." 

"  Take  care,  both  of  you,"  replied  Thais. 
"  He  is  a  magician  and  enchanter.  He 
understands  words  spoken  in  a  low  voice, 
and  even  thoughts.  He  will  snatch  your 


THE    PAPYRUS  121 

heart  from  you  while  you  are  asleep  ;  he 
will  replace  it  by  a  sponge,  and  on  the 
morrow,  after  drinking  water,  you  will  die 
of  suffocation." 

"  Friends,  take  your  places !  Slaves,  pour 
out  the  honey-coloured  wine  !  " 

Then  the  host,  raising  his  cup,  said  : 

"  Drink  first  to  the  divine  Constantius  and 
the  Empire's  genius.  The  father-land  must 
be  placed  first,  even  before  the  gods,  for  it 
contains  them." 

All  the  guests  raised  their  brimming  cups 
to  their  lips.  Paphnutius  alone  did  not  drink, 
because  Constantius  persecuted  the  faith  of 
Nicaea,  and  the  Christian's  father-land  is  not 
of  this  world. 

Dorion,  after  drinking,  murmured  : 

"  What  is  the  father-land  ?  A  flowing  river. 
Its  banks  change  and  waves  are  always  upon  it." 

"  I  know,  Dorion,"  replied  the  prefect  of  the 
fleet,  "  that  you  take  little  account  of  civic 
virtues,  and  that  you  think  that  the  sage 
should  live  a  stranger  to  business.  I  think, 
on  the  other  hand,  that  an  honourable  man 
should  desire  nothing  so  much  as  to  fill  high 
offices  in  the  State.  What  a  beautiful  thing 
the  State  is  !  " 


122  THAIS 

Hermodorus,  High  Priest  of  Serapis,  spoke : 

"  Dorion  has  just  asked :  '  What  is  the 
father-land  ? '  I  will  reply :  The  altars  of  the 
gods  and  the  tombs  of  ancestors  compose  the 
father-land.  One  man  is  another  man's  fellow- 
citizen  through  a  community  of  souvenirs  and 
hopes." 

Young  Aristobulus  interrupted  Hermodorus : 

"  By  Castor,  I  saw  a  fine  horse,  to-day.  It 
belongs  to  Demophon.  It  has  a  lean  head 
and  fine  shoulders.  It  carries  its  head  high 
and  proud  like  a  cock's." 

But  young  Chereas  shook  his  head. 

"  It  is  not  as  good  a  horse  as  you  make 
out,  Aristobulus.  It  has  thin  hoofs.  Its 
pasterns  are  near  the  ground  and  the  animal 
will  soon  go  lame." 

They  were  continuing  their  dispute,  when 
Drosea  uttered  a  piercing  shriek. 

"  Oh !  I  almost  swallowed  a  fish  -  bone 
longer  and  sharper  than  a  dagger.  By  good 
luck  I  drew  it  from  my  throat  in  time.  The 
gods  love  me." 

'•  Did  you  not  say  that  the  gods  love 
you?"  asked  Nicias,  with  a  smile.  "If  so, 
they  share  men's  infirmity.  Love  supposes 
with  the  person  who  feels  it  the  sentiment 


THE   PAPYRUS  123 

of  eternal  misery.  It  is  by  it  that  the  weak- 
ness of  beings  is  betrayed.  The  love  which 
the  gods  feel  for  Drosea  is  a  great  proof  of 
their  imperfection." 

At  these  words  Drosea   became  very  angry. 

"  Nicias,  your  words  are  silly  and  form  no 
answer.  Besides,  it  is  your  character  not  to 
understand  what  is  said,  and  to  reply  in  words 
utterly  without  sense." 

Nicias  smiled  again. 

"  Speak,  speak,  Drosea.  No  matter  what  you 
say,  we  ought  to  return  thanks  every  time  you 
open  your  mouth.  Your  teeth  are  so  beautiful." 

At  this  moment  a  grave  old  man,  negligently 
attired,  entered  the  hall  with  a  slow  step  and 
haughty  bearing,  and  walked  towards  the 
guests.  Cotta  motioned  to  him  to  sit  by  his 
side,  upon  his  own  couch. 

"Welcome,  Eucritus,"  said  he.  "Have  you 
written  a  new  treatise  this  month?  It  should 
be,  if  my  calculation  is  correct,  the  ninety- 
second  which  has  flowed  from  the  Nile  reed, 
which  you  guide  with  an  Attic  hand." 

Eucritus  replied  as  he  caressed  his  silvery 
beard  : 

"  The  nightingale  is  made  to  sing  and  I  am 
made  to  praise  the  immortal  gods." 


i24  THAIS 

Dorion. — Let  us  respectfully  salute  in  Eucritus 
the  last  of  the  Stoics.  Grave  and  white,  he 
rises  in  our  midst  like  an  ancestral  image ! 
He  is  alone  in  the  crowd  of  men  and  pronounces 
words  which  are  not  understood. 

Eucritus. — You  are  mistaken,  Dorion.  The 
philosophy  of  virtue  is  not  dead  in  this  world. 
I  have  numerous  disciples  in  Alexandria,  Rome, 
and  Constantinople.  Many  among  the  slaves 
and  nephews  of  the  Caesars  still  know  how  to 
govern  themselves,  to  live  free  and  taste  in 
abstinence  illimitable  felicity.  Several  revive 
in  themselves  Epictetus  and  Marcus  Aurelius. 
But  if  it  were  true  that  virtue  was  forever 
extinct  upon  the  earth,  in  what  way  would  its 
loss  concern  my  happiness,  since  its  duration 
or  death  does  not  depend  on  me  ?  Only  fools, 
Dorion,  place  their  felicity  beyond  their  own 
power.  I  desire  nothing  the  gods  do  not  will, 
and  I  desire  all  they  will.  By  this  means  I 
become  like  them  and  partake  of  their  infallible 
contentment.  If  virtue  perish,  I  consent  to  its 
death  and  the  consent  fills  me  with  joy  like  the 
supreme  effort  of  my  reason  or  my  courage.  In 
all  things  my  wisdom  will  imitate  divine  wisdom, 
and  the  copy  will  be  more  precious  than  the 
model ;  it  will  have  cost  more  care  and  labour. 


THE    PAPYRUS  125 

Nicias. — I  understand.  You  associate  your- 
self with  celestial  Providence.  But  if  virtue 
consists  only  in  effort,  Eucritus,  and  in  that 
tension  by  which  the  disciples  of  Zeno  pre- 
tended to  render  themselves  like  gods,  the  frog, 
which  swells  out  to  become  as  large  as  the  ox, 
accomplishes  the  masterpiece  of  Stoicism. 

Eucritus.  —  Nicias,  you  joke,  and  as  usual 
excel  in  mockery.  But  if  the  ox  you  speak  of 
is  really  a  god,  as  Apis  and  as  the  subterranean 
bull,  whose  High  Priest  I  see  here,  and  if  the 
frog,  wisely  inspired,  succeeds  in  equalling  it, 
will  it  not  be  in  reality  more  virtuous  than  the 
ox,  and  who  will  be  able  to  stifle  their  admira- 
tion for  so  generous  a  little  animal  ? 

Four  servants  placed  upon  the  table  a  wild 
pig  still  covered  with  bristles.  Young  boars, 
made  of  paste  baked  in  an  oven,  surrounded 
the  animal  and  indicated  that  it  was  a  sow. 

Zenothemis,  turning  towards  the  monk,  said  : 

"  Friend,  a  guest  is  come  of  himself  to  join 
us.  The  illustrious  Paphnutius,  who  leads  in 
solitude  a  wondrous  life,  is  our  unexpected 
guest." 

Cotta. —  Say  more,  Zenothemis.  The  first 
place  is  his  due,  since  he  has  come  un- 
invited. 


126  THAI'S 

Zenothemis. — We  ought,  too,  dear  Lucius,  to 
receive  him  with  particular  kindness  and  find 
out  what  is  most  agreeable  to  him.  Now  it 
is  certain  that  such  a  man  is  less  sensible  to 
the  flavour  of  viands,  than  to  the  perfume  of 
beautiful  thoughts.  We  shall  no  doubt  give 
him  pleasure  by  directing  the  conversation 
upon  the  doctrine  he  professes,  that  of  Jesus 
crucified.  For  myself,  I  shall  lend  myself  the 
more  willingly  as  that  doctrine  keenly  interests 
me  on  account  of  the  number  and  diversity  of 
the  allegories  it  includes.  If  the  spirit  beneath 
the  letter  is  understood,  it  is  full  of  truths,  and 
and  I  think  the  books  of  the  Christians  abound 
in  divine  revelations.  But  I  could  not  set  an 
equal  value,  Paphnutius,  on  the  books  of  the 
Jews.  They  were  inspired,  not,  as  it  has  been 
said,  by  the  spirit  of  God,  but  a  bad  spirit. 
Jehovah,  who  dictated  them,  was  one  of  those 
spirits  which  people  the  lower  air  and  cause 
the  greater  part  of  the  ills  we  suffer ;  but  he 
exceeds  them  all  in  ignorance  and  ferocity. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  serpent  with  golden 
wings,  which  twisted  round  the  tree  of  know- 
ledge its  azure  coils,  was  formed  of  light  and 
love.  Thus  the  struggle  between  these  two 
powers,  one  of  light  the  other  of  darkness,  was 


THE   PAPYRUS  127 

inevitable.  It  commenced  in  the  world's  early 
days.  God  had  hardly  returned  to  rest,  Adam 
and  Eve,  the  first  man  and  woman,  were  living 
naked  and  happy  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  when 
Jehovah  formed,  unfortunately  for  them,  the  in- 
tention of  ruling  them  and  all  the  generations 
Eve  already  bore  in  her  magnificent  womb.  As 
he  possessed  neither  compass  nor  lyre,  and  was 
alike  ignorant  of  science,  which  commands, 
and  art  which  persuades,  he  frightened  these 
two  poor  children  by  various  apparitions, 
capricious  menaces  and  thunder-claps.  Adam 
and  Eve,  feeling  his  shadow  upon  them, 
pressed  close  together  and  their  love  re- 
doubled in  fear.  The  serpent  had  pity  on 
them  and  resolved  to  teach  them  wisdom,  so 
that,  possessing  knowledge,  they  would  be  no 
longer  abused  by  lies.  This  enterprise  required 
rare  prudence,  and  the  weakness  of  the  first 
human  pair  rendered  it  almost  desperate.  The 
well-intentioned  demon,  however,  attempted  it. 
Unknown  to  Jehovah,  who  pretended  to  see 
all,  but  whose  sight  in  reality  was  not  very 
clear,  he  approached  the  two  creatures,  and 
chained  their  eyes  with  the  splendour  of  his 
breast-plate  and  the  glory  of  his  wings.  Then 
he  interested  their  minds  by  forming  before 


128  THAI'S 

them  with  his  body,  exact  figures,  such  as  the 
circle,  the  ellipse,  and  the  spiral,  whose  admir- 
able qualities  have  been  recognised  since  the 
days  of  the  Greeks.  Adam,  better  than  Eve, 
meditated  upon  these  figures.  But  when  the 
serpent  began  to  speak,  and  teach  them  the 
highest  truths,  those  which  do  not  demonstrate 
themselves,  he  recognised  that  Adam,  fashioned 
from  red  earth,  was  of  too  dense  a  nature  to 
perceive  these  subtle  forms  of  knowledge,  and 
that  Eve,  on  the  contrary,  being  tenderer  and 
more  sensible,  could  easily  understand  them. 
So  he  talked  to  her  in  her  husband's  absence, 
to  initiate  his  first  .  .  ;fo 

Dorion. — Allow  me,  Zenothemis,  to  stop  you 
here.  At  first  I  recognised  in  the  myth  you  are 
expounding  to  us,  an  episode  in  the  struggle  of 
Pallas  Athenae  and  the  giants.  Jehovah  very 
much  resembles  Typhon,  and  Pallas  is  repre- 
sented by  the  Athenians  with  a  serpent  by  her 
side.  But  what  you  have  just  said  has  made 
me  suddenly  doubt  the  intelligence  or  good 
faith  of  the  serpent  of  whom  you  speak.  If  he 
had  really  possessed  wisdom,  would  he  have 
entrusted  it  to  a  little  woman's  head  incapable 
of  containing  it.  I  think  that  he  was,  like 
Jehovah,  ignorant  and  a  liar,  and  that  he  chose 


THE    PAPYRUS  129 

Eve  because  she  was  most  easy  to  seduce,  and 
because  he  gave  Adam  credit  for  more  intel- 
ligence and  reflection. 

Zenothemis. — Understand,  Dorion,  that  it  is 
not  by  reflection  and  intelligence,  but  by  per- 
ception, that  the  highest  and  purest  truths  are 
attained.  Thus,  women,  who  are  usually  less 
reflective  but  more  sensible  than  men,  rise  more 
easily  to  knowledge  of  divine  matters.  In  them 
is  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  it  is  not  unreason- 
able for  Apollo,  Athenae  and  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
to  be  sometimes  represented  clothed  as  women 
in  long  flowing  robes.  The  serpent  teacher  was 
wise,  whatever  you  may  say  to  the  contrary, 
Dorion,  in  preferring  for  his  work  of  light  this 
Eve,  whiter  than  milk  and  the  stars,  to  the  more 
gross  and  stupid  Adam.  She  listened  docilely 
and  allowed  herself  to  be  led  to  the  tree  of 
knowledge,  whose  branches  stretched  up  to  the 
sky,  and  upon  which  the  Holy  Spirit  rested  like 
dew.  This  tree  was  covered  with  leaves,  which 
spake  all  the  languages  of  future  races,  and 
whose  united  voices  formed  perfect  harmony. 
Its  abundant  fruits  gave  to  the  initiated,  who 
fed  upon  them,  the  knowledge  of  metals,  stones, 
plants,  as  well  as  of  physical  and  moral  laws  ; 
but  they  were  of  flame,  and  those  who  feared 
I 


130  THAIS 

suffering  and  death  dared  not  lift  them  to  their 
lips.  Now,  after  listening  to  the  serpent's  teach- 
ing, Eve  rose  above  vain  terrors  and  desired  to 
taste  the  fruits,  which  gave  knowledge  of  God. 
But  in  order  that  Adam,  whom  she  loved,  might 
not  become  her  inferior,  she  took  him  by  the 
hand  and  led  him  to  the  marvellous  tree. 
Plucking  an  apple  of  fire,  she  bit  it,  and 
afterwards  offered  it  to  her  companion.  Un- 
fortunately Jehovah,  who  was  walking  by 
chance  in  the  garden,  surprised  them,  and  seeing 
that  they  had  become  wise,  he  became  terribly 
angry.  He  is  specially  to  be  feared  when 
jealous.  Collecting  his  forces,  he  produced  such 
a  tumult  in  the  lower  air  that  these  two  feeble 
beings  were  frightened  at  it.  The  fruit  fell 
from  the  man's  hand,  and  the  woman,  clinging 
to  his  neck,  said  :  "  I  desire  to  be  ignorant  and 
suffer  with  you."  Jehovah,  in  triumph,  keeps 
Adam  and  Eve  and  all  their  seed  in  stupor 
and  in  fear.  His  art,  which  became  reduced  to 
fashioning  great  meteors,  placed  him  beyond 
the  power  of  the  serpent's  knowledge,  though 
he  was  a  musician  and  mathematician.  He 
taught  men  injustice,  ignorance,  and  cruelty, 
and  caused  evil  to  reign  on  earth.  He  pursued 
Cain  and  his  sons  because  they  were  industrious  ; 


THE    PAPYRUS  131 

he  exterminated  the  Philistines  because  they 
composed  Orphic  poems  and  fables  like  yEsop. 
He  was  the  implacable  enemy  of  knowledge 
and  beauty,  and  mankind  for  long  centuries 
expiated  in  tears  and  blood  the  defeat  of  the 
winged  serpent.  Fortunately  learned  men  lived 
among  the  Greeks,  such  as  Pythagoras  and 
Plato,  and  they  recovered  by  the  power  of 
genius  the  figures  and  ideas  which  Jehovah's 
enemy  had  vainly  tried  to  teach  the  first  woman. 
The  spirit  of  the  serpent  was  in  them  ;  for  that 
reason,  as  Dorion  says,  the  serpent  is  honoured 
among  the  Athenians.  Lastly,  in  later  days, 
there  appeared  in  human  form  three  celestial 
spirits,  Jesus  of  Galilee,  Basilides,  and  Valentine, 
to  whom  it  was  given  to  pluck  the  finest  fruits 
of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  the  roots  of  which 
traverse  the  earth  and  which  rears  its  top  to  the 
heights  of  heaven.  This  is  my  revenge  for  the 
Christians,  to  whom  the  errors  of  the  Jews  are 
often  imputed. 

Dorion. — If  I  have  understood  you  rightly, 
Zenothemis,  three  admirable  men,  Jesus, 
Basilides,  and  Valentine,  have  discovered 
secrets  which  were  hidden  to  Pythagoras, 
Plato,  all  the  philosophers  of  Greece,  and 
even  the  divine  Epicurus,  who,  however, 


132  THAIS 

freed  men  from  all  vain  terrors.  You  will 
oblige  us  by  telling  us  by  what  means  these 
three  mortals  acquired  knowledge  which 
escaped  the  meditation  of  the  sages. 

Zenothemis. — Must  I  repeat  for  your  benefit, 
Dorion,  that  science  and  meditation  are  only 
the  first  degrees  of  knowledge,  and  that 
ecstasy  alone  leads  to  eternal  truths? 

Hermodorus.  —  It  is  true,  Zenothemis,  that 
the  soul  is  nourished  on  ecstasy,  as  the  grass- 
hopper is  on  dew.  But  let  us  go  further : 
the  spirit  alone  is  capable  of  entire  rapture. 
For  man  is  triple,  composed  of  a  material 
body,  a  more  subtle  but  equally  material 
soul,  and  an  incorruptible  spirit.  After  leav- 
ing its  body  as  a  palace  given  up  to  silence 
and  solitude,  then  flying  across  the  gardens 
of  its  soul,  the  spirit  is  bestowed  on  God,  it 
tastes  the  delights  of  an  anticipated  death,  or 
rather  of  future  life,  for  death  is  life,  and  in 
this  state,  which  partakes  of  divine  purity,  it 
possesses  at  the  same  time  infinite  joy  and 
absolute  knowledge.  It  enters  into  unity, 
which  is  everything.  It  is  perfect. 

Nicias. — This  is  admirable.  But  to  tell 
the  truth,  Hermodorus,  I  see  no  great 
difference  between  everything  and  nothing. 


THE    PAPYRUS  133 

Words  even  seem  to  fail  me  to  make  the 
distinction.  The  infinite  resembles  in  a 
terrible  degree  nothingness :  they  are  both 
inconceivable.  In  my  opinion,  perfection  costs 
very  dear :  a  person  pays  for  it  with  his 
whole  being,  and  to  possess  it  one  must 
cease  to  exist.  That  is  a  disgrace  which  God 
himself  has  not  escaped,  since  philosophers 
have  gone  about  to  perfect  him.  After  that, 
if  we  do  not  know  what  "  not  to  be "  is,  we 
are  also  ignorant  of  what  "  to  be "  is.  We 
know  nothing.  People  say  it  is  impossible 
for  men  to  understand  each  other.  I  should 
think,  in  spite  of  our  disputes,  that,  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  impossible  for  them  not  to 
finally  agree,  buried  side  by  side  under  the 
masses  of  contradiction  which  they  have 
heaped  up,  like  Ossa  upon  Pelion. 

Cotta. — I  love  philosophy  very  much,  and  I 
have  studied  it  in  my  leisure  hours.  But 
I  only  understand  it  well  in  Cicero's  works. 
Slaves,  pour  out  the  honey-coloured  wine ! 

Callicrates.  —  That  is  a  singular  thing ! 
When  I  am  sober,  I  think  of  the  time  when 
the  tragic  poets  sat  at  the  banquets  of  good 
tyrants,  and  my  mouth  waters.  But  when  I 
have  tasted  the  excellent  wine  you  pour  out 


134  THAIS 

for  us,  generous  Lucius,  I  dream  only  of 
civil  struggles  and  heroic  combats.  I  blush 
to  live  in  inglorious  days,  I  invoke  liberty, 
and  in  imagination  shed  my  blood  with  the 
last  of  the  Romans  on  the  fields  of  Philippi. 

Cotta. — At  the  decline  of  the  Republic  my 
kinsmen  died  with  Brutus  for  liberty.  But 
it  is  open  to  question  whether,  what  they 
called  the  liberty  of  the  Roman  people,  was 
not,  in  reality,  the  faculty  of  governing  them 
themselves.  I  do  not  deny  that  liberty  may 
be  a  nation's  greatest  good.  But  the  longer  I 
live,  the  more  I  persuade  myself  that  a  strong 
government  alone  can  assure  its  citizens.  I 
have  filled  for  forty  years  the  highest  State 
office,  and  my  long  experience  teaches  me 
that  people  are  oppressed  when  power  is 
weak.  So  those  who,  as  most  rhetors  do, 
try  to  weaken  the  government  commit  a  de- 
testable crime.  If  one  man's  will  is  some- 
times used  in  a  fatal  manner,  popular  consent 
renders  all  resolution  impossible.  Before  the 
majesty  of  Roman  peace  covered  the  world 
races  were  only  happy  under  intelligent 
despots. 

Hermodorus.  —  As  for  me,  Lucius,  I  think 
there  is  no  good  form  of  government,  and  one 


THE    PAPYRUS  135 

will  not  be  discovered,  since  the  ingenious 
Greeks,  who  conceived  so  many  happy  forms, 
sought  it  in  vain.  In  this  direction  every 
hope  is  henceforth  forbidden  us.  We  recog- 
nise by  certain  signs  that  the  world  is  near 
sinking  into  ignorance  and  barbarity.  It  was 
given  us,  Lucius,  to  assist  at  the  terrible  agony 
of  civilisation.  Of  all  the  satisfaction  which 
intelligence,  science,  and  virtue  procured,  there 
only  remains  to  us  the  cruel  joy  of  watching 
ourselves  die. 

Cotta. — It  is  certain  that  the  people's  hunger 
and  the  audacity  of  the  barbarians  are  scourges 
to  be  feared.  But,  with  a  good  fleet,  a  good 
army,  and  good  finances  .  .  . 

Hermodorus. — What  is  the  use  of  flattery? 
The  expiring  Empire  offers  the  barbarians  an 
easy  prey.  The  cities,  which  were  edified  by 
Hellenic  genius  and  Latin  patience,  will  soon 
be  sacked  by  drunken  savages.  There  will  be 
on  the  earth  no  art  or  philosophy.  The  images 
of  the  gods  will  be  overturned  in  the  temples 
and  in  men's  souls.  It  will  be  the  night  of  the 
spirit  and  the  death  of  the  world.  How,  in  fact, 
is  it  possible  to  believe  that  the  Sarmatians  will 
ever  undertake  works  of  intelligence,  that  the 
Quadi  and  Marcomanni  will  adore  the  immortal 


136  THAIS 

gods.  No  ;  everything  is  tottering  and  sinking. 
This  old  Egypt,  which  has  been  the  cradle  of 
the  world,  will  be  its  hypogee  ;  Serapis,  the  god 
of  death,  will  receive  the  supreme  adoration  of 
mortality,  and  I  shall  be  the  last  priest  of  the 
last  god. 

At  this  moment  a  strange  figure  lifted  the 
tapestry,  and  the  guests  saw  before  them  a 
little  hunch-backed  man,  whose  bald  head  rose 
up  to  a  point.  He  was  dressed  in  the  Asiatic 
fashion  with  an  azure  tunic,  and  wore  upon 
his  legs,  like  the  barbarians,  red  breeches  sewn 
with  golden  stars.  When  he  saw  him,  Paph- 
nutius  recognised  Marcus  the  Aryan,  and,  fear- 
ing a  thunder-bolt  would  fall,  he  raised  his 
hands  above  his  head  and  paled  with  fear. 
The  mere  presence  of  this  heretic  stunned  his 
courage,  a  thing  which,  at  the  banquet  of 
demons,  neither  the  blasphemies  of  the  Pagans 
nor  the  horrible  errors  of  the  philosophers  had 
succeeded  in  doing.  He  wished  to  flee,  but 
when  his  glance  met  the  glance  of  Thai's,  he 
was  suddenly  reassured.  He  had  read  her  soul 
and  understood  that  she,  who  was  about  to 
become  a  saint,  was  already  protecting  him. 
He  seized  part  of  her  flowing  robe  and  mentally 
prayed  to  the  Saviour  Jesus. 


THE    PAPYRUS  137 

A  flattering  murmur  accompanied  the  arrival 
of  the  person,  who  was  called  the  Plato  of 
the  Christians.  Hermodorus  spoke  to  him 
first: 

"  Most  illustrious  Marcus,  we  all  rejoice  to 
see  you  among  us,  and  your  arrival  is  very 
opportune.  We  know  of  the  Christian  doctrine 
only  what  is  publicly  taught.  Now  it  is  certain 
that  a  philosopher  like  you  cannot  think  with 
the  vulgar,  and  we  are  anxious  to  know  your 
opinion  of  the  principal  mysteries  of  the 
religion  you  profess.  Our  dear  Zenothemis, 
whom  you  know  is  very  fond  of  symbols,  was 
just  now  asking  Paphnutius  about  the  books 
of  the  Jews.  But  Paphnutius  has  not  replied 
to  him,  and  we  must  not  be  surprised  at  this, 
since  our  guest  is  vowed  to  silence  and  God 
has  sealed  his  tongue  in  the  desert.  But  you, 
Marcus,  who  have  spoken  in  the  Christian 
synods,  and  even  the  councils  of  the  divine 
Constantine,  you  can,  if  you  wish,  satisfy  our 
curiosity  by  revealing  to  us  the  philosophic 
truths  which  are  hidden  in  the  fables  of  the 
Christians.  Is  not  the  first  of  these  truths  the 
existence  of  an  only  God,  in  whom  I,  for  my 
part,  firmly  believe. 

Marcus. — Yes,  venerable   brothers,  I    believe 


138  THAIS 

in  an  only  God,  not  begotten,  the  one  eternal, 
the  beginning  of  all  things. 

Nicias. — We  know,  Marcus,  that  your  God 
created  the  world.  It  was  indeed  a  great  crisis 
in  his  existence.  He  was  existing  for  an 
eternity  before  being  able  to  resolve  to  do  so. 
But,  in  justice,  I  admit  his  situation  was  a  very 
awkward  one.  He  had  to  remain  inactive  to 
remain  perfect,  and  he  had  to  act  if  he  desired 
to  prove  to  himself  his  own  existence.  You 
assure  me  that  he  decided  to  act  I  will  believe 
you,  Marcus,  although  it  is  on  the  part  of  a 
perfect  God  an  unpardonable  imprudence.  But 
tell  us,  Marcus,  how  he  set  about  creating  the 
world. 

Marciis. — Those  who,  without  being  Christians, 
possess,  as  Hermodorus  and  Zenothemis  do, 
the  principles  of  knowledge,  know  that  God 
did  not  create  the  world  directly  and  without 
intervention.  He  gave  birth  to  an  only  son, 
by  whom  all  things  were  made. 

Hermodorus. — You  are  right,  Marcus  ;  and 
this  son  is  adored  under  the  names  of  Hermes, 
Mithra,  Adonis,  Apollo,  and  Jesus. 

Marcus. — I  should  not  be  a  Christian  if  I 
gave  him  names  other  than  Jesus  Christ  and 
Saviour.  He  is  the  true  son  of  God.  But  he 


THE    PAPYRUS  139 

is  not  eternal,  since  he  had  a  beginning  ;  as  for 
thinking  he  existed  before  being  begotten,  that 
is  an  absurdity  which  must  be  left  to  the  mules 
of  Nicaea  and  the  restive  ass  who  too  long  ruled 
the  church  of  Alexandria  under  the  cursed  name 
of  Athanasius. 

At  these  words,  Paphnutius,  who  was  pale, 
and  whose  forehead  was  bathed  in  the  sweat 
of  agony,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  per- 
severed in  his  sublime  silence. 

Marcus  continued  : 

"  It  is  clear  that  the  inept  symbol  of  Nicaea 
makes  an  attempt  on  the  majesty  of  the  only 
God  by  obliging  him  to  divide  his  indivisible 
attributes  with  its  own  emanation  the  mediator 
by  whom  all  things  were  made.  Cease  to  rail 
at  the  true  God  of  the  Christians,  Nicias  ;  learn 
that  he  works  or  spins  no  more  than  do  the 
lilies  of  the  field.  He  was  not  the  workman  ; 
it  was  Jesus  who  created  the  world  and  after- 
wards came  to  repair  his  work.  For  the  creation 
could  not  be  perfect,  and  evil  was  of  necessity 
mixed  with  good  in  it. 

Nicias. — What  is  good  and  what  is  evil? 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  during  which 
Hermodorus,  with  his  arms  stretched  upon  the 
table,  displayed  a  little  donkey  of  Corinthian 


140  THAIS 

metal,  carrying  two  baskets,  one  containing 
white  olives  and  the  other  black. 

"  Look  at  these  olives,"  said  he.  "  Our  looks 
are  agreeably  flattered  by  the  contrast  of  their 
tints,  and  we  are  satisfied  that  these  are  clear 
and  those  dark.  But  if  they  were  endowed 
with  thought  and  knowledge,  the  white  ones 
would  say :  '  It  is  well  for  an  olive  to  be  white, 
ill  for  it  to  be  black,'  and  the  people  of  the 
black  olives  would  detest  those  of  the  white. 
We  judge  better,  for  we  are  as  much  above 
them  as  the  gods  are  above  us.-  For  man, 
who  sees  only  a  part  of  everything,  evil  is  a 
blessing.  Without  doubt,  ugliness  is  ugly  and 
not  beautiful  ;  but  if  everything  was  beautiful, 
everything  would  not  be  beautiful.  It  is  then 
well  for  there  to  be  evil  greater  than  the 
first. 

Eucritus.  —  Let  us  speak  more  virtuously. 
Evil  is  an  evil,  not  to  the  world  whose  inde- 
structible harmony  it  does  not  destroy,  but 
to  the  sinner  who  commits  it  and  could  not 
do  so. 

Cotta. — By  Jupiter!  that  is  fine  reasoning! 

Eucritus. — The  world  is  a  tragedy  by  an 
excellent  poet.  God,  who  composed  it,  has 
designed  each  of  us  to  play  a  part  in  it.  If 


THE    PAPYRUS  141 

he  desires  you  to  be  beggar,  prince,  or  cripple, 
do  your  best  with  the  part  assigned  you. 

Nicias. — Assuredly  it  will  be  good  for  the 
cripple  of  the  tragedy  to  limp  like  Hephaistos  ; 
it  will  be  good  for  the  madman  to  abandon 
himself  to  the  furies  of  Ajax,  for  the  incestuous 
woman  to  renew  the  crimes  of  Phaedra,  for 
the  traitor  to  betray,  for  the  cheat  to  lie,  for 
the  murderer  to  kill,  and,  when  the  piece  is 
played,  all  the  actors,  kings,  the  just,  bloody 
tyrants,  pious  virgins,  shameless  wives,  mag- 
nanimous citizens  and  cowardly  assassins  will 
receive  from  the  poet  an  equal  share  of  praise. 

Eucritus. — You  pervert  my  idea,  Nicias,  and 
change  a  lovely  girl  into  a  hideous  gorgon. 
I  feel  sorry  for  your  ignorance  of  the  nature 
of  the  gods,  justice,  and  eternal  laws. 

Zenothemis. — I  myself,  friends,  believe  in  the 
reality  of  good  and  evil.  But  I  am  persuaded 
that  it  is  not  a  single  human  action,  were  it 
even  the  kiss  of  Judas,  which  bears  a  germ 
of  redemption.  Evil  co-operates  in  the  final 
salvation  of  men,  and  in  that  it  proceeds  from 
the  good,  and  participates  in  the  merit  at- 
tached to  it.  That  is  what  the  Christians 
have  admirably  expressed  by  the  fable  of  the 
red-haired  man  who,  to  betray  his  master, 


142  THAIS 

gave  him  the  kiss  of  peace,  and  assured  by 
that  act  men's  safety.  So  nothing,  in  my 
idea,  is  more  unjust  or  vain  than  the  hatred 
with  which  certain  of  the  disciples  of  Paul 
pursue  the  most  unfortunate  of  the  apostles 
of  Jesus,  without  thinking  that  the  kiss  of 
the  Iscariot,  prophesied  by  Jesus  himself,  was 
necessary,  according  to  their  own  doctrine,  for 
the  redemption  of  men,  and  that,  if  Judas  had 
not  accepted  the  purse  of  thirty  shekels,  divine 
wisdom  would  have  been  belied,  Providence 
deceived,  its  designs  overthrown,  and  the  world 
given  over  to  evil,  ignorance,  and  death. 

Marcus. — Divine  wisdom  had  foreseen  that 
Judas,  though  at  liberty  not  to  give  the  traitor's 
kiss,  would,  nevertheless,  give  it.  Thus  it  em- 
ployed the  Iscariot's  crime  as  a  stone  in  the 
marvellous  edifice  of  redemption. 

Zenothemis.  —  I  spoke  to  you  just  now, 
Marcus,  as  if  I  believed  that  the  redemption 
of  men  had  been  accomplished  by  the  crucified 
Jesus,  because  I  know  that  such  is  the  Christian 
belief;  and  I  entered  into  their  thoughts  the 
better  to  seize  upon  the  failing  of  those  who 
believe  in  the  eternal  damnation  of  Jesus. 
But  in  reality  Jesus  is,  in  my  eyes,  the  har- 
binger of  Basilides  and  Valentine.  As  to  the 


THE   PAPYRUS  143 

mystery  of  the  redemption,  I  will  tell  you, 
my  dear  friends,  if  you  are  at  all  curious  to 
hear  it,  the  way  in  which  it  was  truly  accom- 
plished on  earth. 

The  guests  made  signs  of  assent.  Just  at 
this  moment  twelve  young  girls,  carrying  on 
their  heads  baskets  of  pomegranates  and 
apples,  entered  the  hall  with  light  steps, 
keeping  time  to  an  invisible  flute,  like  the 
Athenian  virgins  with  the  sacred  baskets  of 
Ceres.  They  placed  the  baskets  upon  the 
table,  the  music  of  the  flute  ceased,  and 
Zenothemis  spoke  as  follows  : — 

"  When  Eunioa,  the  thought  of  God,  had 
created  the  world,  the  government  of  the 
earth  was  entrusted  to  angels.  They,  how- 
ever, did  not  preserve  the  calm  proper  to 
masters.  Seeing  that  the  daughters  of  men 
were  beautiful,  they  surprised  them  in  the 
evening  on  the  banks  of  the  water  tanks, 
and  were  united  to  them.  Of  these  hymens 
there  was  born  a  ferocious  race,  which  covered 
the  earth  with  injustice  and  cruelty,  and  the 
dust  of  the  wayside  drank  up  innocent  blood. 
At  this  sight  Eunoia  was  seized  with  infinite 
sadness. 

"  This    is    my    doing,"    she    sighed,    leaning 


144  THAIS 

towards  the  world.  "  My  poor  children  are 
plunged,  through  my  fault,  into  a  life  of 
bitterness.  Their  suffering  is  my  crime,  and 
I  desire  to  expiate  it.  God  himself,  who 
thinks  only  by  me,  would  be  powerless  to 
return  to  them  their  primal  purity.  What 
is  done  is  done,  and  the  creation  is  for 
ever  spoiled.  At  least,  I  will  not  abandon 
my  creatures.  If  I  cannot  make  them  as 
happy  as  myself,  I  can  make  myself  as  un- 
happy as  they  are.  Since  I  have  made  the 
mistake  of  giving  them  bodies  which  humiliate 
them,  I  myself  will  assume  a  body  like  unto 
theirs,  and  go  and  live  amongst  them." 

After  saying  this,  Eunoia  descended  to 
earth,  and  became  incarnate  in  the  womb  of 
an  Argive  woman.  After  birth  she  was  weak, 
and  she  received  the  name  of  Helen.  She 
soon,  however,  grew  in  grace  and  beauty, 
and  became  the  most  greatly  desired  of 
women,  as  she  had  resolved  to  commit  in 
her  mortal  body  the  most  noble  sins.  The 
inert  prey  of  lewd  and  violent  men,  she  de- 
voted herself  to  rape  and  adultery,  in  expia- 
tion of  all  adultery,  violence,  and  iniquity, 
and  caused  by  her  beauty  the  ruin  of  races, 
in  order  that  God  might  pardon  the  crimes  of 


THE    PAPYRUS  145 

the  universe.  Never  was  the  idea  of  heaven, 
never  was  Eunoia  so  adorable  as  in  the 
days  when,  as  a  woman,  she  prostituted  herself 
to  heroes  and  shepherds.  Poets  divined  her 
divinity,  when  they  depicted  her  so  peaceful, 
superb,  and  so  fatal,  and  when  they  made 
this  invocation  to  her :  "  Soul  serene  as  the 
calm  upon  the  sea  !  " 

Thus  was  Eunoia  dragged  out  of  pity  into 
evil  and  suffering.  She  died,  and  the  Argive 
race  still  show  her  tornb,  for  she  had  to  know 
death  after  pleasure,  and  taste  all  the  bitter 
fruits  she  had  sown.  But,  escaping  from 
Helen's  decomposing  flesh,  she  became  in- 
carnate in  another  woman's  form,  and  again 
submitted  to  every  outrage.  Thus,  passing 
from  body  to  body,  and  traversing  the  ages 
of  evil  among  us,  she  takes  upon  her  the  sins 
of  the  world.  Her  sacrifice  will  not  be  vain. 
Attached  to  us  by  the  bonds  of  the  flesh, 
loving  and  weeping  with  us,  she  will  work 
out  her  own  and  our  redemption,  and  will  de- 
light us,  suspended  at  her  white  breast,  with 
the  peace  of  a  conquered  heaven. 

Hermodorus. — This  myth  is  not  unknown 
to  me.  I  remember  that  it  is  said  that,  in 
one  of  her  metamorphoses,  this  divine  Helen 
.K 


146  THAI'S 

lived  with  Simon  the  .magician  in  the  days 
of  the  Emperor  Tiberius.  Still,  I  thought 
that  her  downfall  was  involuntary,  and  that 
the  angels  had  involved  her  in  their  own  ruin. 

Zenothemis. — Hermodorus,  it  is  true  that 
men  ill-informed  in  the  mysteries  have  thought 
that  sorrowing  Eunoia  had  not  agreed  to  her 
own  destruction.  But  if  it  were  as  they  pre- 
tend, Eunoia  would  not  be  the  atoning 
courtesan,  covered  with  all  blemishes,  the 
bread  soaked  in  the  wine  of  our  shame,  the 
meritorious  sacrifice,  the  agreeable  offering, 
the  holocaust  whose  smoke  mounts  to  God. 
Had  -not  her  sins  been  voluntary,  they  would 
have  no  virtue. 

Callicrates. — But  is  it  not  known,  Zenothemis, 
in  what  country,  under  what  name,  in  what 
adorable  form,  this  ever  re-born  Helen  lives 
to-day  ? 

Zenothemis. — A  man  must  be  very  wise  to 
discover  such  a  secret.  And  wisdom,  Calli- 
crates, is  not  given  to  poets,  who  live  in  the 
vulgar  world  of  forms  and  amuse  themselves 
like  children  with  sounds  and  vain  images. 

Callicrates. — Fear  to  offend  the  gods,  im- 
pious Zenothemis,  poets  are  dear  to  them. 
The  first  laws  were  dictated  in  verse  by  the 


THE    PAPYRUS  147 

immortals  themselves,  and  the  oracles  of  the 
gods  are  poems.  Hymns  are  agreeable  in 
sound  to  celestial  ears.  Who  knows  that  . 
poets  are  not  seers,  and  nothing  is  hidden 
from  them.  Being  a  poet  myself,  and  crowned 
with  the  laurels  of  Apollo,  I  will  reveal  to 
all  the  last  incarnation  of  Eunoia.  Eternal 
Helen  is  near  you  ;  she  looks  at  us,  and  we 
look  at  her.  Do  you  see  that  woman  reclin- 
ing on  the  cushions  of  her  couch,  so  beautiful 
and  so  thoughtful,  in  whose  eyes  are  tears, 
and  on  whose  lips  kisses.  It  is  she  !  charm- 
ing as  in  the  days  of  Priam,  and  Asia's  glory, 
to-day  Eunoia  is  called  Thais. 

Philinna. — What  is  that  you  are  saying, 
Callicrates  ?  Our  dear  Thais  would  have 
known  Paris,  Menelaus,  and  the  Achaeans  who 
fought  before  Ilium  !  Was  the  horse  of  Troy 
large,  Thai's  ? 

Aristobulus. — Who  speaks  of  a  horse? 

"  I  have  drunk  like  a  Thracian ! "  cried 
Chereas,  as  he  rolled  under  the  table. 

Callicrates,  raising  his  cup,  said  : 

"  If  we  drink  desperately,  we  shall  die  with- 
out vengeance ! " 

Old  Cotta  slept,  his  bald  head  balanced 
upon  his  broad  shoulders. 


148  THAIS 

For  some  time  Dorion  seemed  much  dis- 
turbed under  his  cloak  of  philosophy.  He 
approached  the  couch  of  Thais,  murmuring : 

"  Thais,  I  love  you,  although  it  is  unworthy 
of  me  to  love  a  woman." 

Thais. — Why  did    you   not  love  me  before? 

Dorion. — Because  I  was  fasting. 

Thais. — I,  poor  friend,  who  have  drunk  only 
water,  permit  me  not  to  love  you. 

Dorion  did  not  desire  to  hear  more,  and 
glided  towards  Drosea,  who  ordered  him  with 
a  look  to  raise  his  friend.  Zenothemis  took 
the  vacant  place,  and  kissed  Thai's  on  the  lips. 

Thais. — I  thought  you  were  more  virtuous. 

Zenothemis. — I  am  perfect,  and  the  perfect 
are  bound  by  no  law. 

Thais. — But  do  you  not  fear  to  soil  your 
soul  in  a  woman's  arms? 

Zenothemis. — The  body  can  yield  to  desire, 
without  the  soul  being  affected. 

Thais. — Go  away !  I  want  to  be  loved  both 
body  and  soul.  All  these  philosophers  are 
goats ! 

One  by  one  the  lamps  went  out.  Pale  dawn, 
penetrating  through  the  openings  of  the  tapestry, 
lit  up  the  livid  faces  and  swollen  eyes  of  the 
guests.  Aristobulus,  who  had  fallen  by  the 


THE    PAPYRUS  149 

side  of  Chereas  with  clenched  hands,  was  send- 
ing in  his  dream  his  grooms  to  the  ravens. 
Zenothemis  was  pressing  in  his  arms  pale 
Philinna.  Dorion  was  pouring  upon  Drosea's 
bare  throat  drops  of  wine,  which  rolled  like 
rubies  down  her  white  breast  heaving  with 
laughter,  pursued  by  the  philosopher's  lips  to 
drink  them  from  her  flesh.  Eucritus  rose,  and 
placing  his  arms  upon  the  shoulders  of  Nicias, 
he  led  him  to  the  back  of  the  hall. 

"  Friend,"  he  said,  with  a  smile,  "  if  you  are 
still  thinking,  of  what  are  you  thinking?" 

"  I  am  thinking  that  women's  loves  are  the 
gardens  of  Adonis." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  know,  Eucritus,  that  women 
construct  every  year  little  gardens  upon  their 
terraces  by  planting  palms  for  the  lover  of 
Venus  in  vases  of  clay.  These  palms  are 
green  for  a  short  time  and  then  fade." 

"  What  does  it  matter,  Nicias  ?  It  is  folly 
to  attach  oneself  to  that  which  passes 
away." 

"If  beauty  is  only  a  shadow,  desire  is  only 
a  beam.  What  folly  it  is  to  desire  beauty  ? 
Is  it  not  reasonable,  on  the  other  hand,  for 
that  which  passes  away  to  go  to  that  which 


ISO  THAIS 

does  not  endure,  and  for  the  light  to  devour 
the  disappearing  shadow  ?  " 

"  Nicias,  you  seem  to  me  like  a  child  playing 
at  huckle-bones.  Believe  me ;  be  free.  That 
is  how  to  become  a  man." 

"  How  can  a  person  be  free,  Eucritus,  when 
he  has  a  body  ?  " 

"  You  shall  see  at  once,  my  son.  In  a  moment 
you  will  say  :  Eucritus  was  free."  The  old  man 
as  he  spoke,  was  leaning  upon  a  porphyry 
column,  his  forehead  lit  up  by  the  first  rays 
of  dawn.  Hermodorus  and  Marcus,  having 
approached,  stood  before  him  by  the  side  of 
Nicias,  and  all  four,  indifferent  to  the  laughter 
and  cries  of  the  drinkers,  talked  of  divine 
matters.  Eucritus  expressed  himself  so  wisely 
that  Marcus  said  to  him  : 

"  You  are  worthy  to  know  the  true  God." 

Eucritus  replied  : 

"  The  true  God  is  in  the  wise  man's  heart." 

Then  they  spoke  of  death. 

"  I  desire  it,"  said  Eucritus,  "  to  find  me 
occupied  in  self-correction  and  attentive  to  all 
my  duties.  Before  it  I  will  raise  my  pure 
hands  to  heaven  and  say  to  the  gods :  "  Your 
images,  O  gods,  which  you  have  placed  in  the 
temple  of  my  soul,  I  have  not  soiled.  I  have 


THE    PAPYRUS  151 

hung  my  thoughts  there  like  garlands,  bands, 
and  crowns.  I  have  lived  in  conformity  to 
your  providence.  I  have  lived  enough." 

Speaking  thus,  he  raised  his  arms  to  heaven 
and  his  face  shone  with  light. 

He  remained  pensive  for  a  moment.  Then 
he  resumed,  with  cheerfulness : 

"  Detach  yourself  from  life,  Eucritus,  like 
the  ripe  olive  which  falls,  returning  thanks  to 
the  tree  that  bore  it,  and  blessing  the  earth, 
its  nurse ! " 

At  these  words,  drawing  from  the  folds  of 
his  robe  a  naked  dagger,  he  plunged  it  into 
his  breast. 

When  his  listeners  seized  his  hand,  the  point 
of  the  dagger  had  pierced  the  wise  man's  heart. 
Eucritus  had  entered  into  rest.  Hermodorus 
and  Nicias  bore  the  pale  bleeding  body  to 
one  of  the  couches,  amid  the  piercing  shrieks 
of  the  women,  the  groans  of  the  guests  dis- 
turbed from  their  sleep,  and  the  stifled  sighs 
of  pleasure  from  the  shadow  of  the  hangings. 
Old  Cotta,  who  had  awakened  from  his  light 
sleep  with  a  soldier's  promptitude,  was  already 
by  the  side  of  the  corpse  examining  the  wound, 
and  exclaiming : 

"  Call  my  doctor,  Aristeus  !  " 


152  THAI'S 

Nicias  shook  his  head  : 

"  Eucritus  is  no  more,"  said  he.  "  He  desired 
death  as  others  desire  love.  He  has,  like  all 
of  us,  obeyed  ineffable  desire.  Now  he  is  as 
the  gods  who  desire  nothing." 

Cotta  beat  his  brow  : 

"  Death,  desire  death,  when  a  man  can  still 
serve  the  State,  what  rubbish ! " 

Paphnutius  and  Thai's  had  remained  motion- 
less side  by  side,  their  souls  overflowing  with 
disgust,  horror,  and  hope. 

Suddenly  the  monk  seized  the  actress  by  the 
hand,  stepped  with  her  over  drunken  men  lying 
upon  the  floor,  avoided  men  and  women  in  each 
other's  embrace,  and  dragged  her  out  through 
the  wine  and  blood. 

Day  was  breaking  on  the  city.  Long  colon- 
nades stretched  out  on  either  side  of  the 
deserted  road,  which  was  topped  in  the 
distance  by  the  gleaming  pinnacle  of  Alex- 
ander's tomb.  Upon  the  pathway  were 
scattered  here  and  there  leafless  crowns  and 
extinct  torches.  In  the  air  was  the  fresh 
breath  of  the  sea.  Paphnutius  snatched  off  in 
disgust  his  sumptuous  robe  and  trampled  the 
shreds  of  it  beneath  his  feet. 

"  You  heard  them,  Thai's,"  he  cried.     "  They 


THE    PAPYRUS  153 

spoke  of  every  folly  and  every  abomination. 
They  dragged  the  divine  Creator  of  all  things 
to  the  Gemoniae  of  the  demons  of  hell,  shame- 
lessly denied  good  and  evil,  blasphemed  Jesus, 
and  boasted  of  Judas.  And  the  most  infamous 
of  all,  the  jackal  of  the  darkness,  the  stinking 
beast,  the  Aryan  full  of  corruption  and  death, 
opened  his  mouth  like  a  sepulchre.  My  Thais, 
you  saw  them  creep  towards  you,  those  unclean 
slugs,  and  soil  you  with  their  slimy  sweat ;  you 
saw  those  brutes  sleeping  beneath  the  slaves' 
feet ;  you  saw  those  beasts  coupled  on  the  floor 
soiled  by  their  own  vomiting?  You  saw  that 
mad  old  man  spill  blood  more  vile  than  the 
wine  spilled  in  the  debauch,  and  throw  himself 
after  the  orgy  into  the  face  of  the  Christ  un- 
expected by  him !  Praise  be  to  God !  You 
have  looked  upon  error  and  seen  that  it  was 
hideous.  Thais,  Thais,  Thais,  recall  the  folly 
of  the  philosophers,  and  say  whether  you  wish 
to  rave  with  them.  Recall  the  looks,  gestures, 
and  laughter  of  their  worthy  comrades,  those 
lascivious  and  malicious  she-apes,  and  say 
whether  you  desire  to  remain  like  them  ! " 

Thais,  whose  heart  had  revolted  at  the 
disgust  of  that  night,  feeling  the  indiffer- 
ence and  brutality  of  men,  the  wickedness 


154  THAIS 

of  women,  and  the  weight  of  the  hours, 
sighed  : 

"  I  am  wearied  to  death,  my  father !  Where 
can  rest  be  found?  I  feel  my  forehead  burning, 
my  head  light,  and  my  arms  so  weary,  that  I 
should  not  have  strength  to  seize  happiness  if 
it  were  placed  in  my  hands." 

Paphnutius  looked  at  her  kindly  : 

"  Courage,  my  sister,"  he  said,  "  the  hour  of 
rest  is  approaching  for  you,  who  will  become 
white  and  pure  as  the  vapours  which  you  can 
see  oozing  from  those  lakes  and  gardens." 

They  approached  the  house  of  Thais,  and 
could  see  above  the  wall  the  heads  of  the 
plane-trees  and  turpentine-trees,  which  sur- 
rounded the  Nymphs'  grotto,  quivering  in  the 
dew  at  the  breath  of  the  morning.  A  de- 
serted square  was  before  them,  surrounded 
by  columns  and  white  statues,  and  having  at 
its  extremities  semicircular  marble  benches, 
supporting  chimeras.  Thais  dropped  upon 
one  of  these  benches.  Then,  casting  an 
anxious  glance  at  the  monk,  she  asked : 
"What  must  I  do?" 

"  You  must,"  replied  the  monk,  "  follow 
him  who  has  come  to  seek  you.  He  is  separ- 
ating you  from  the  world  as  the  vintager 


THE    PAPYRUS  155 

gathers  the  bunch  of  grapes,  which  would  rot 
upon  the  vine,  and  takes  it  to  the  wine-press 
to  turn  it  into  perfumed  wine.  Listen  :  there  is, 
twelve  hours'  journey  from  Alexandria  towards 
the  Occident,  and  near  the  sea,  a  nunnery, 
the  regulations  of  which  are  masterpieces 
of  wisdom,  and  deserve  to  be  written  in  lyric 
verse  and  sung  with  an  accompaniment  of 
theorbos  and  tambourines.  It  can  be  truly 
said  of  the  women  who  obey  them  that,  with 
their  feet  on  earth,  they  have  their  faces  in 
heaven.  In  this  world  they  live  the  lives  of 
angels.  They  desire  to  be  poor  for  Jesus  to 
love  them,  modest  for  him  to  look  at  them, 
and  chaste  for  him  to  espouse  them.  He 
visits  them  each  day,  dressed  as  a  gardener, 
with  naked  feet  and  open  hands — indeed,  just 
as  he  showed  himself  to  Mary  on  her  way 
from  the  tomb.  To-day  I  will  take  you  to  this 
nunnery,  Thai's,  and  soon  after  joining  these 
holy  women,  you  shall  partake  of  their  holy 
conversation.  They  are  waiting  for  you  like 
sisters.  At  the  convent  door  their  mother, 
pious  Albina,  will  give  you  the  kiss  of  peace, 
and  say  :  "  Daughter,  welcome  !  " 

The   courtesan    uttered    an    exclamation    of 
admiration. 


156  THAIS 

"  Albina,  a  daughter  of  the  Caesars  !  The 
grand-niece  of  the  Emperor  Carus ! " 

"Herself!  Albina!  who,  born  in  the  purple, 
re-clad  herself  with  sackcloth  and,  daughter  of 
the  masters  of  the  world,  rose  to  the  rank  of 
servant  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Thais  got  up  and  said :  "  Take  me  to 
Albina's  house." 

Paphnutius,  to  complete  his  victory,  said  :  "  I 
will  indeed  take  you  there  ;  and  enclose  you  in 
a  cell,  in  which  you  shall  weep  for  your  sins ; 
for  it  is  not  right  for  you  to  mix  with  Albina's 
daughters  before  being  washed  from  all  your 
stains.  I  will  seal  the  door,  and  you  shall  wait, 
a  happy  prisoner,  till  Jesus  himself  comes,  and 
as  a  sign  of  pardon  breaks  my  seal.  Do  you 
doubt  that  he  will  come,  Thais,  and  what  a 
tremor  will  run  through  your  flesh  when  you 
feel  the  fingers  of  light  placed  upon  your  eyes 
to  dry  your  tears  !  " 

Thais  said  for  the  second  time :  "  Take 
me,  father,  to  Albina's  house." 

With  his  heart  full  of  joy,  Paphnutius  looked 
round  him,  and  tasted,  almost  without  fear, 
the  pleasure  of  contemplating  created  things  ; 
his  eyes  drank  in  the  light  of  God  with 
delight,  and  unknown  breaths  passed  across 


THE    PAPYRUS  157 

his  forehead.  Suddenly,  recognising  in  one 
of  the  angles  of  the  square  the  small  door 
leading  to  the  house  of  Thais,  and  remember- 
ing that  these  fine  trees,  whose  tops  he  was 
admiring,  shaded  the  courtesan's  garden,  he 
saw  in  thought  the  impurities  which  had  there 
soiled  the  air  to-day  so  fresh  and  pure,  and 
his  soul  was  so  grieved  that  a  flood  of  bitter 
tears  poured  from  his  eyes. 

"  Thais,"  said  he,  "  we  will  flee  without 
turning  our  heads.  But  we  will  not  leave 
behind  us  the  instruments,  the  witnesses,  the 
accomplices  of  your  past  crimes,  those  thick 
hangings,  those  beds,  that  tapestry,  those  urns 
of  perfume,  and  those  lamps  which  would 
proclaim  your  infamy.  Do  you  desire  this 
furniture  of  crime,  animated  by  demons,  and 
carried  away  by  the  cursed  spirit  that  is  in 
it,  to  follow  you  to  the  desert?  It  is  only  too 
true,  that  tables  of  scandal  and  seats  of  infamy 
serve  as  instruments  for  devils,  acting,  speaking, 
striking  the  earth  and  traversing  the  air.  Let 
everything  which  partook  of  your  shame  perish  ! 
Hasten,  Thais,  and  while  the  city  is  still  asleep, 
order  your  slaves  to  build  in  the  middle  of  this 
square  a  wood-pile,  upon  which  we  will  burn  all 
the  abominable  wealth  your  dwelling  contains." 


158  THAI'S 

Thafs  consented  to  this. 

"  Do  as  you  like,  my  father,"  said  she.  "  I 
know  that  sometimes  inanimate  objects  serve  as 
places  of  sojourn  for  spirits.  At  night,  certain 
pieces  of  furniture  speak,  either  by  striking 
blows  at  regular  intervals,  or  by  showing  little 
lights  like  signals.  But  still  that  is  nothing. 
Did  you  not  see,  father,  when  entering  the 
Nymphs'  grotto,  on  the  right,  a  statue  of  a 
naked  woman  about  to  bathe?  One  day  I 
saw  the  statue  turn  its  head,  like  a  living 
person,  and  immediately  resume  its  ordinary 
attitude.  I  was  frozen  with  fear.  Nicias,  to 
whom  I  told  this  marvel,  laughed  at  me ;  there 
is,  however,  some  magic  in  the  statue,  for  it 
inspired  violent  desire  in  a  man  named 
Dalnatius,  who  was  insensible  to  my  beauty. 
It  is  certain  that  I  have  been  among  enchant- 
ments, and  have  been  exposed  to  the  greatest 
dangers,  for  men  have  been  stifled  by  the 
embrace  of  a  brazen  statue.  It  is,  however, 
a  pity  to  destroy  precious  things,  made  with 
rare  industry,  and  if  my  tapestry  and  hangings 
are  burnt  the  loss  will  be  great.  The  beauty 
of  colour  in  some  of  them  is  really  admirable, 
and  they  cost  the  persons  who  gave  them  to 
me  a  great  sum.  I  possess  cups,  statues,  and 


THE   PAPYRUS  159 

pictures,  the  value  of  which  is  very  great.  I 
do  not  believe  that  it  is  necessary  to  destroy 
them.  But  you,  father,  knowing  as  you  do 
what  is  necessary,  do  as  you  will." 

Saying  this,  she  followed  the  monk  to  the 
little  door,  where  so  many  crowns  and  garlands 
had  been  hung,  and  opening  it,  ordered  the 
porter  to  call  all  the  slaves  in  the  house.  Four 
Indian  cooks  appeared  ;  they  were  yellow- 
skinned,  and  all  blind  of  one  eye.  Thais  had 
had  great  trouble  and  much  amusement  in 
collecting  these  four  slaves  of  the  same  race, 
afflicted  by  the  same  disease.  When  they 
served  at  table,  they  excited  the  curiosity  of 
the  guests,  and  Thai's  made  them  tell  the  story 
of  their  lives.  They  approached  in  silence. 
Their  assistants  followed  them.  Then  came 
the  grooms,  the  huntsmen,  the  litter-bearers, 
and  the  tireless  couriers,  two  gardeners,  hairy 
as  Priapus,  six  negroes  of  ferocious  appear- 
ance, and  three  Greek  slaves,  one  a  grammarian, 
another  a  poet,  and  the  third  a  singer.  They 
were  all  ranged  in  order  in  the  square,  when 
the  curious  negresses  arrived  in  haste,  uneasily 
rolling  their  large  eyes  and  extending  their 
mouths  as  far  as  their  earrings.  Last  of  all, 
adjusting  their  veils,  and  languidly  moving 


160  THAIS 

their  feet,  which  were  fettered  with  thin  gold 
chains,  appeared  six  beautiful  white  slaves, 
looking  very  disagreeable.  When  they  were 
all  together,  Thais  said,  as  she  pointed  out 
Paphnutius  to  them : 

"  Do  as  this  man  orders  you,  for  the  spirit 
of  God  is  in  him,  and  if  you  disobey  him,  you 
will  fall  dead." 

She  believed  this,  for  she  had  heard  that 
the  holy  men  of  the  desert  had  the  power  to 
plunge  the  wicked,  who  struck  them  with  their 
rods,  into  the  open  and  smoking  earth. 

Paphnutius  sent  away  the  women  and  the 
Greek  slaves,  who  were  like  women,  and  said 
to  the  others : 

"  Bring  wood  into  the  middle  of  the  square, 
make  a  great  fire,  and  throw  upon  it  all  the 
contents  of  the  house  and  grotto." 

They  stood  motionless  with  surprise,  and 
interrogated  their  mistress  with  their  eyes.  As 
she  remained  inert  and  silent,  they  crowded 
together  in  a  heap,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  un- 
certain if  it  were  a  joke  or  not. 

"  Obey,"  said  the  monk. 

Several  were  Christians.  Understanding  the 
order  given  them,  they  went  into  the  house  to 
find  wood  and  torch'es.  The  others  followed 


THE    PAPYRUS  161 

their  example  without  feeling  displeased,  for, 
being  poor,  they  hated  wealth,  and  instinctively 
had  a  taste  for  destruction.  As  they  built  the 
pile  of  wood,  Paphnutius  said  to  Thais : 

"  I  thought  for  a  moment  of  calling  the 
treasurer  of  some  Alexandrian  church  (if  there 
is  one  worthy  of  the  name  of  church,  and 
unsoiled  by  Aryan  beasts),  and  giving  him 
your  property,  woman,  to  distribute  to  widows, 
and  thus  change  the  gain  of  crime  into  the 
treasury  of  justice.  But  this  thought  did  not 
come  from  God,  so  I  repulsed  it,  and  to  offer 
the  well-beloved  of  Christ  the  spoils  of  luxury 
would  be  a  grave  offence.  Thai's,  everything 
you  have  touched  must  be  devoured  by  fire 
to  the  uttermost.  Thanks  be  to  heaven  these 
tunics  and  veils,  which  have  received  kisses 
as  countless  as  the  waves  of  the  sea,  will  now 
feel  but  lips  and  tongues  of  flame.  Slaves, 
hasten !  Bring  more  wood  and  torches ! 
Woman,  enter  the  house,  take  off  your  in- 
famous garments,  and  beg  of  the  humblest 
of  your  slaves,  as  a  great  favour,  her  oldest 
tunic." 

Thais  obeyed.  While  kneeling  Indians 
blew  upon  the  burning  brands,  negroes  threw 
upon  the  pile  coffers  of  ivory,  ebony,  or  cedar, 
L 


1 62  THAIS 

which,  opening,  threw  out  crowns,  garlands, 
and  necklaces.  The  smoke  rose  in  a  dark 
column,  like  the  acceptable  sacrifices  of  the 
ancient  law.  Then  the  smouldering  fire  sud- 
denly burst  out,  roared  like  a  monster  beast, 
and  with  almost  invisible  flames  began  to 
devour  its  precious  fuel.  Then  the  slaves 
grew  bold  at  their  work  ;  they  quickly  dragged 
out  rich  tapestry,  veils  embroidered  in  silver, 
and  flowered  hangings.  They  bent  beneath 
the  weight  of  tables,  couches,  thick  cushions, 
and  beds  with  golden  pins.  Three  strong 
Ethiopians  ran,  carrying  in  their  arms  the 
coloured  statues  of  the  nymphs — one  of  which 
had  been  loved  as  a  mortal — and  they  seemed 
like  great  apes  carrying  off  women.  When 
the  beautiful  naked  forms  fell  from  their 
arms,  and  broke  upon  the  stones,  a  groan 
was  heard. 

At  this  moment  Thai's  appeared,  with  her 
unbound  hair  hanging  in  long  strands,  her 
feet  bare,  and  clad  in  a  coarse  and  shapeless 
tunic,  which,  from  simply  touching  her  body, 
became  impregnated  with  divine  voluptuous- 
ness. Behind  her  came  a  gardener,  bearing, 
hidden  in  his  flowing  beard,  an  ivory  Eros. 

She   signed    to   the   man    to   stop,   and,   ap- 


THE    PAPYRUS  163 

preaching   Paphnutius,   showed    him    the   little 
god. 

"  Father,"  she  asked,  "  must  this,  too,  be 
thrown  into  the  flames.  It  is  of  old  and 
wonderful  workmanship,  and  is  worth  a 
hundred  times  its  weight  in  gold.  Its  loss 
will  be  irreparable,  for  there  is  no  artist  in 
the  world  capable  of  making  another  Eros 
so  beautiful.  Consider  also,  father,  that  this 
little  child  is  Love,  and  he  must  not  be  beaten 
cruelly.  Believe  me,  Love  is  a  virtue,  and  if 
I  have  sinned  it  is  not  by  him,  father,  but 
against  him.  Never  shall  I  regret  what  he 
has  made  me  do,  and  I  weep  only  for  what 
I  have  done  in  spite  of  his  prohibition.  He 
does  not  allow  women  to  give  themselves  to 
those  who  do  not  come  in  his  name.  For 
that  he  should  be  honoured.  See,  Paphnutius, 
how  pretty  this  little  Eros  is !  How  grace- 
fully he  hides  in  the  gardener's  beard !  One 
day  Nicias,  who  loved  me  then,  brought  it 
to  me,  saying  :  '  It  will  speak  to  you  of  me. 
But  the  naughty  child  spoke  to  me  of  a 
young  man  I  had  known  at  Antioch,  and  not 
of  Nicias.  Enough  wealth  has  perished  on 
this  pile,  father !  Keep  this  Eros,  and  place 
it  in  some  monastery.  Those  who  see  it  will 


164  THAIS 

turn   their  hearts  to  God,  for  Love  knows  by 
nature  how  to  rise  to  thoughts  of  heaven." 

The  gardener,  thinking  that  the  Eros  was 
saved,  was  smiling  upon  it  as  upon  a  child, 
when  Paphnutius,  snatching  the  god  from  the 
arms  that  held  it,  hurled  it  into  the  flames, 
shouting : 

"The  fact  of  Nicias  having  touched  it  is 
sufficient  to  make  it  spread  every  poison." 

Then  seizing  handfuls  of  sparkling  robes, 
purple  mantles,  golden  sandals,  combs,  mirrors, 
lamps,  theorbos  and  lyres,  he  threw  them  into 
the  brazier,  which  was  more  sumptuous  than 
the  funeral  pile  of  Sardanapalus,  while  the 
slaves,  drunk  with  the  joy  of  destruction, 
danced  and  shouted  beneath  a  hail  of  sparks 
and  cinders. 

One  by  one  the  neighbours,  wakened  by 
the  noise,  opened  their  windows,  and,  rub- 
bing their  eyes,  looked  for  the  origin  of  the 
smoke.  Then  they  descended,  half  dressed,  to 
the  square,  and  approached  the  pile :  "  What 
is  that?"  they  thought. 

Among  them  were  merchants  from  whom 
Thais  used  to  buy  perfumes  or  stuffs,  and 
these  uneasily  craned  their  yellow  withered 
heads  in  an  effort  to  understand.  Young  pro- 


THE    PAPYRUS  165 

fligates,  passing  by  on  the  way  home  from 
supper,  preceded  by  their  slaves,  stopped  with 
flowers  around  their  heads,  and  loosened  tunics, 
and  uttered  loud  cries.  The  ever-increasing 
crowd  of  the  curious  soon  knew  that  Thai's, 
at  the  inspiration  of  the  priest  of  Antinoe, 
was  burning  her  wealth  before  retiring  to  a 
nunnery. 

The  merchants  thought : 

"  Thai's  is  leaving  the  city ;  we  shall  sell 
her  nothing  more ;  that  is  frightful  to  con- 
template. What  will  become  of  us  without 
her  ?  This  monk  has  made  her  lose  her  reason. 
He  is  ruining  us.  Why  is  he  allowed  to  do 
it?  Of  what  use  are  the  laws?  Are  there 
no  magistrates  in  Alexandria  ?  Thais  has 
neither  thought  of  our  wives  or  our  poor 
children.  Her  conduct  is  a  public  scandal. 
She  must  be  made  to  remain,  in  spite  of  her- 
self, in  the  city." 

The  young  men,  on  their  side,  thought : 

"If  Thai's  renounces  the  games,  and  love, 
our  dearest  amusements  are  gone.  She  was 
the  delicious  glory  and  superb  honour  of  the 
theatre.  She  was  the  joy  of  those  who  did 
not  possess  her.  Women,  whom  a  man  loved, 
were  loved  in  her ;  no  kisses  were  exchanged 


166  THAIS 

from  which  her  influence  was  quite  absent,  for 
she  was  the  pleasure  of  pleasures,  and  the 
mere  thought  that  she  breathed  among  us 
excited  us  to  pleasure." 

So  thought  the  young  men,  and  one  of  them 
named  Cerons,  who  had  held  her  in  his  arms, 
cried  out  at  the  rape  and  blasphemed  Christ. 
In  every  group  the  conduct  of  Thais  was 
severely  condemned. 

"It's  a  shameful  flight." 

"  A  cowardly  departure  !  " 

"  She  is  taking  the  bread  from  our  mouths." 

"  She  is  taking  away  the  dowries  of  our 
daughters." 

"She  will,  at  least,  have  to  pay  for  the 
crowns  I  have  sold  her." 

"  And  the  sixty  robes  she  has  ordered  from 
me." 

"  She  is  in  debt  to  every  one." 

"  Who  will  take  the  parts  of  Iphigenia, 
Electra,  and  Polyxena  after  her?  Beautiful 
Polybius  will  not  succeed  as  she  has  done." 

"  Life  will  be  a  sad  thing  when  her  door  is 
shut." 

"  She  was  the  bright  star,  the  soft  moon  in 
the  Alexandrian  sky." 

The  most  celebrated  beggars  of  the  city,  the 


THE   PAPYRUS  167 

blind,  cripples,  and  paralytics  had  now  as- 
sembled in  the  square ;  and,  dragging  them- 
selves into  the  shadow  of  the  riches,  they 
groaned  : 

"  How  shall  we  live  when  Thais  is  not  here 
to  feed  us  ?  The  meat  from  her  table  every 
day  satisfied  two  hundred  of  the  unfortunate, 
and  her  well  -  pleased  lovers,  on  leaving  her/* 
used  to  throw  us,  as  they  passed,  handfuls  of 
silver." 

Thieves  in  the  crowd  uttered  deafening 
shouts,  and  hustled  their  neighbours  to  aug- 
ment the  disorder  and  profit  by  it  by  carry- 
ing off  some  valuable  booty. 

Old  Thaddeus,  who  sold  wool  from  Miletus, 
and  flax  from  Tarentum,  and  to  whom  Thai's 
owed  a  large  sum  of  money,  alone  remained 
calm  and  silent  in  the  midst  of  the  tumult 
Looking  straight  before  him,  and  straining  his 
ears,  he  caressed  his  goat's  beard  and  seemed 
pensive.  At  last,  approaching  young  Cerons, 
he  plucked  him  by  the  sleeve  and  said  to  him 
in  a  low  voice : 

"You,  my  lord,  whom  Thais  prefers,  show 
yourself,  and  do  not  suffer  her  to  be  carried 
off  by  this  monk." 

"  By  Pollux  and  his  sister,  he  shall  not  do 


1 68  THAIS 

it ! "  cried  Cerons.  "  I  will  speak  to  Thais, 
and,  without  flattering  myself,  I  think  she  will 
hear  me  rather  than  this  Lapithus  daubed 
with  soot.  Make  way,  ruffians  !  " 

After  striking  men  with  his  fist,  knocking 
down  old  women,  and  trampling  on  little 
children,  he  reached  Thai's,  and  drawing  her 
aside  : 

"  Lovely  girl,"  said  he,  "  look  at  me,  recollect 
yourself,  and  tell  me  whether  you  really  re- 
nounce love." 

But  Paphnutius,  throwing  himself  between 
Thai's  and  Cerons,  cried : 

"  Wretch,  prepare  for  death  if  you  touch 
hef ;  she  is  sacred,  she  belongs  to  God." 

"Go  away,  dog-headed  monk,"  replied  the 
young  man  in  a  rage ;  "  let  me  speak  to  my 
friend,  or,  if  not,  I  will  drag  your  obscene 
carcass  by  the  beard  to  the  fire  and  grill  you 
alive  upon  it." 

He  stretched  out  his  hand  towards  Thai's. 
But,  repulsed  by  the  monk  with  unexpected 
violence,  he  staggered  and  fell  four  paces 
away  at  the  foot  of  the  pile  among  the 
falling  brands. 

Old  Thaddeus,  however,  went  from  one  to 
the  other,  pulling  the  slaves'  ears,  and  kiss- 


THE    PAPYRUS  169 

ing  the  masters'  hands,  exciting  all  of  them 
against  Paphnutius,  and  he  soon  formed  a 
little  band  which  marched  resolutely  at  the 
ravisher  monk.  Cerons  rose,  with  blackened 
face,  singed  hair,  and  almost  suffocated  with 
smoke  and  rage.  He  blasphemed  the  gods, 
and  rushed  on  among  the  assailants,  behind 
whom  the  beggars  crawled,  waving  their 
crutches.  Paphnutius  was  soon  enclosed  in 
a  circle  of  outstretched  hands,  uplifted  sticks, 
and  death-shouts. 

"  To  the  ravens  with  the  monk  !  " 

"  No,  throw  him  on  the  fire !  Roast  him 
alive ! " 

Seizing  his  beautiful  prey,  he  pressed  her 
to  his  heart. 

"  Wretches,"  he  cried  in  a  voice  of  thunder, 
"do  not  attempt  to  snatch  away  the  dove 
from  the  eagle  of  the  Lord.  Rather  imitate 
this  woman,  and,  like  her,  change  your  mud 
to  gold.  Renounce,  following  her  example, 
the  false  gods,  your  possessions,  in  which 
you  believe.  Hasten,  the  days  are  near,  and 
divine  patience  begins  to  weary.  Repent, 
confess  your  shame,  weep  and  pray.  Walk 
in  the  footsteps  of  Thai's.  Detest  your  crimes, 
which  are  as  great  as  hers.  Which  of  you, 


1 70  THAIS 

poor  or  rich,  merchants,  soldiers,  slaves,  or 
illustrious  citizens,  would  dare  to  say  before 
God  that  you  were  better  than  a  courtesan  ? 
You  are  all  uncleanness  personified,  and  it 
is  the  miracle  of  heavenly  goodness,  that  mud 
does  not  flow  from  you  in  streams." 

While  he  spake,  flames  flashed  from  his 
eyes ;  it  seemed  as  if  burning  coals  fell  from 
his  lips,  and  those  about  listened  against  their 
will. 

But  old  Thaddeus  did  not  remain  idle.  He 
was  collecting  stones  and  oyster  shells,  which 
he  concealed  in  a  fold  of  his  tunic,  and,  not 
daring  to  throw  them  himself,  he  slid  them 
into  the  hands  of  the  beggars.  Soon  the 
stones  flew,  and  a  well-aimed  shell  struck  the 
forehead  of  Paphnutius.  The  blood,  which 
flowed  down  the  sombre  martyr's  face,  dropped 
as  a  new  baptism  upon  the  penitent's  head, 
and  Thais,  oppressed  by  the  monk's  embrace, 
and  her  delicate  flesh  scratched  by  his  rough 
robe,  felt  tremors  of  horror  and  fear  surge 
through  her  limbs. 

At  this  moment  an  elegantly  dressed  man, 
crowned  with  small-age,  opened  a  path  for 
himself  to  the  middle  of  the  surging  mob, 
and  cried  : 


THE    PAPYRUS  171 

"  Stop,  stop  !  This  monk  is  my  brother  !  " 
It  was  Nicias,  who,  after  closing  the  eyes  of 
the  philosopher  Eucritus,  was  passing  through 
the  square  on  the  way  to  his  house,  and  had 
seen,  without  very  much  surprise  (for  nothing 
ever  astonished  him),  the  smoking  pile,  Thai's 
clad  in  sackcloth,  and  the  stoning  of  Paph- 
nutius. 

He  repeated  : 

"  Stop,  I  tell  you ;  spare  my  fellow-pupil ; 
respect  the  dear  head  of  Paphnutius." 

But,  being  accustomed  to  the  subtle  dis- 
courses of  sages,  he  had  not  that  imperious 
energy  which  overawes  the  minds  of  the 
people.  They  did  not  listen  to  him.  A 
shower  of  pebbles  and  shells  fell  upon  the 
monk  who,  covering  Thai's  with  his  body, 
praised  God  whose  goodness  changed  his 
wounds  into  caresses.  Despairing  of  making 
himself  heard,  and  well  assured  of  his  inability 
to  save  his  friend,  either  by  force  or  per- 
suasion, Nicias  had  already  resigned  his 
safety  to  the  gods,  in  whom  he  had  little- 
confidence,  when  it  came  into  his  head  to 
try  a  stratagem,  which  his  contempt  for  men 
had  suddenly  suggested  to  him.  He  took  from 
his  girdle  his  purse  which,  as  he  was  a  man  of 


i;2  THAIS 

pleasure  and  charitable,  was  full  of  gold  and 
silver ;  then  he  ran  to  all  those  who  were 
throwing  stones  and  jingled  the  coins  in  their 
ears.  At  first  they  took  no  notice,  so  great 
was  their  fury ;  but  little  by  little  their  eyes 
turned  towards  the  jingling  gold,  and  soon 
their  enervated  arms  ceased  to  menace  their 
victim.  Seeing  he  had  attracted  their  eyes 
and  attention,  Nicias  opened  his  purse  and 
began  to  throw  among  the  crowd  gold  and 
silver  coins.  The  most  greedy  stooped  down 
to  pick  them  up.  The  philosopher,  happy  at 
his  early  success,  cleverly  threw  the  drachmae 
and  deniers  here  and  there.  At  the  sound  of 
the  pieces  of  metal  bounding  on  the  stones, 
the  troop  of  persecutors  went  to  earth. 
Beggars,  slaves,  and  merchants  wallowed  in 
competition,  while,  grouped  around  Cerons, 
the  patricians  roared  with  laughter  as  they 
looked  at  the  sight.  Cerons  himself  for- 
got his  anger.  His  friends  encouraged  the 
prostrate  rivals,  chose  champions,  made  bets 
•upon  them,  and,  when  disputes  arose,  urged 
on  the  wretches  as  if  they  were  fighting 
dogs.  When  a  cripple  succeeded  in  seizing  a 
drachma  the  shouting  was  loud.  The  young 
men,  too,  began  to  throw  coins,  and  the  only 


THE    PAPYRUS  173 

thing  to  be  seen  in  the  square  was  an  infinity 
of  backs  which,  beneath  a  rain  of  metal,  beat 
together  like  the  waves  of  a  rough  sea. 
Paphnutius  was  forgotten. 

Nicias  ran  to  him,  covered  him  with  his 
cloak,  and  dragged  him  and  Thais  into  lanes, 
where  they  would  not  be  pursued.  They  ran 
for  a  time  in  silence,  then,  judging  themselves 
out  of  reach,  they  slackened  their  pace,  and 
Nicias  said,  a  little  sadly,  in  a  mocking 
tone : 

"  Then  it  is  done !  Pluto  ravished  Proser- 
pine, and  Thais  desires  to  follow  my  fierce 
friend  far  from  us." 

"  True,  Nicias,"  Thai's  replied,  "  I  am  tired 
of  living  with  men  like  you,  smiling,  perfumed, 
and  kindly  egoists.  I  am  weary  of  all  I 
know,  and  I  am  seeking  the  unknown.  I 
learned  by  experience  that  joy  was  not  true 
joy,  and  this  man  teaches  me  that  grief  is  the 
true  joy.  I  believe  him,  for  he  possesses  the 
truth." 

"  I,  beloved  friend,"  Nicias  replied,  with  a 
smile,  "  possess  the  truths.  He  has  only  one 
of  them  ;  I  have  them  all.  I  am  richer  than 
he  is,  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  neither  prouder 
nor  happier." 


174  THAIS 

Seeing  the  monk  casting  furious  glances  at 
him,  he  said  : 

"  Dear  Paphnutius,  do  not  think  that  I  con- 
sider you  extremely  ridiculous,  or  even  quite 
unreasonable.  If  I  compare  my  life  with 
yours,  I  should  be  able  to  say  which  was  the 
more  preferable  in  itself.  I  am  now  going 
to  have  the  bath  Crobyle  and  Myrtale  have 
prepared  for  me ;  I  shall  eat  the  wing  of  a 
pheasant  from  the  Phasis,  then  I  shall  read  for 
the  hundredth  time  some  fable  fr6m  Apuleus, 
or  some  treatise  by  Porphyrius.  You  will 
return  to  your  hut,  where,  kneeling  like  a 
docile  camel,  you  will  ruminate  on  some 
formulae  of  incantation,  which  you  have 
digested  many  times  before,  and  in  the  even- 
ing you  will  eat  radishes  without  oil.  Ah, 
well,  dear  friend,  in  doing  these  things,  which 
are  totally  different  in  appearance,  we  shall 
both  obey  the  same  sentiment,  the  sole  motive 
of  all  human  actions  ;  we  shall  both  of  us  be 
seeking  our  pleasure  and  be  placing  before 
ourselves  a  common  end :  happiness,  impos- 
sible happiness!  It  would  therefore  be  unkind 
of  me  to  make  you  out  to  be  wrong,  dear 
friend,  if  I  myself  believe  I  am  right. 

"  Thai's,  go   and    rejoice,  be   happier  still,  if 


THE   PAPYRUS  175 

that  is  possible,  in  abstinence  and  austerity 
than  you  have  been  in  wealth  and  pleasure. 
Taking  everything  into  consideration,  I  think 
you  are  to  be  envied.  For  if  in  our  whole 
existence,  obeying  our  nature,  Paphnutius  and 
I  have  pursued  only  one  kind  of  satisfaction, 
you  will  have  tasted  in  life,  dear  Thai's,  such 
opposite  pleasures  as  are  rarely  given  to  one 
person  to  enjoy.  In  truth,  I  would  like  to  be 
for  an  hour  a  holy  man  of  the  kind  our  friend 
Paphnutius  is.  But  that  is  not  permitted  me. 
Adieu  then,  Thais !  Go  whither  the  secret 
powers  of  your  nature  and  destiny  lead  you. 
Go,  and  take  with  you  the  good  wishes  of 
Nicias,  I  know  the  inanity  of  it ;  but  can  I 
give  you  anything  better  than  sterile  regrets 
and  vain  desires  as  the  price  of  the  delicious 
illusions  which  formerly  enveloped  me  in 
your  arms,  the  shadows  of  which  still  remain. 
Adieu,  my  benefactress  !  adieu,  goodness,  which 
ignores  itself,  mysterious  virtue,  men's  pleasure ! 
Adieu,  the  most  adorable  image  nature  has 
ever  hurled  to  an  unknown  end  upon  the  face 
of  this  deceitful  earth  !  " 

While  he  was  speaking,  anger  was  rising  in 
the  monk's  heart ;  it  showed  itself  in  impre- 
cations. 


1 76  THAIS 

"  Go  away,  wretch  !  I  despise  and  hate  you  ! 
Go  away,  child  of  hell,  a  thousand  times  worse 
than  those  poor  sinners,  who  were  just  now 
hurling  abuse  and  stones  at  me.  They  knew 
not  what  they  did ;  and  the  grace  of  God, 
which  I  implore  for  them,  may  one  day  de- 
scend into  their  hearts.  But  you,  hateful 
Nicias,  are  only  perfidious  venom  and  rank 
poison.  The  breath  of  your  mouth  exhales 
despair  and  death.  One  smile  of  yours  con- 
tains more  blasphemies  than  the  smoking  lips 
of  Satan  utter  in  a  century ! " 

Nicias  looked  at  him  tenderly. 

"  Adieu,  brother,"  he  said  to  him,  "  may 
you  keep  till  the  final  dissolution  the  treasures 
of  your  faith — hate  and  love !  Adieu,  Thai's  ! 
It  will  be  vain  for  you  to  forget  me,  since 
I  am  keeping  you  in  remembrance." 

Leaving  them,  he  went  thoughtfully  through 
the  tortuous  streets  near  the  great  necropolis 
of  Alexandria,  in  which  the  funeral  potters 
dwelt.  Their  shops  were  full  of  clay  figures, 
painted  bright  colours,  representing  gods  and 
goddesses,  pantomimes,  women,  and  little 
winged  genii,  which  were  usually  buried  with 
the  dead.  He  thought  that  perhaps  some  of 
the  images  at  which  he  was  looking  would 


THE    PAPYRUS  177 

be  the  companions  of  his  eternal  sleep ;  and 
it  seemed  to  him  that  a  little  Eros,  with 
tucked-up  tunic,  was  laughing  a  mocking 
laugh.  The  idea  of  his  obsequies,  which  he 
pictured  to  himself,  was  painful  to  him.  To 
relieve  his  sadness,  he  tried  philosophy,  and 
constructed  a  reason  : 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  in  truth,  time  has  no  reality. 
It  is  purely  an  illusion  of  our  minds.  Now, 
how  can  it,  if  it  does  not  exist,  bring  me 
death?  Is  that  saying  I  shall  live  for  ever? 
No ;  but  by  that  I  conclude  that  my  death 
is,  and  always  was,  as  much  as  it  will  be.  I 
do  not  feel  it  yet,  but  still  it  exists,  and 
I  must  not  fear  it,  for  it  would  be  folly  to 
fear  the  advent  of  that  which  has  arrived.  It 
exists  like  the  last  page  of  a  book  which  I 
have  read  and  not  finished." 

This  reasoning  occupied  his  walk  without 
cheering  him ;  he  had  a  heavy  heart  when, 
as  he  reached  his  door,  he  heard  the  clear 
laughter  of  Crobyle  and  Myrtale,  who  were 
playing  tennis  while  waiting  for  him. 

Paphnutius  and  Thai's  left  the  city  by  the 
gate  of  the  Moon,  and  walked  along  the 
sea-shore. 

"  Woman,"    said    the    monk,   "  the   whole   of 
If 


i;8  THAIS 

this  great  blue  sea  could  not  wash  away  your 
stains." 

He  spoke  to  her  in  an^er  and  contempt. 

"  Uncleaner  than  the  dogs  and  swine,  you 
have  prostituted  to  the  Pagans  and  unfaithful 
a  body  which  the  Eternal  had  formed  for  a 
tabernacle,  and  your  impurities  are  such  that, 
now  you  know  the  truth,  you  can  no  more 
close  your  lips  or  clasp  your  hands  without 
disgust  of  yourself  rising  in  your  heart." 

She  followed  him  gently  along  rough  roads, 
under  a  burning  sun.  Fatigue  bent  her  knees, 
and  thirst  inflamed  her  breath.  But,  far  from 
feeling  that  false  pity  which  softens  the  hearts 
of  the  profane,  Paphnutius  rejoiced  at  the 
expiatory  sufferings  of  this  sinful  flesh.  In 
the  transports  of  holy  zeal,  he  would  have 
liked  to  cut  with  rods  this  body,  which  re- 
tained its  beauty  as  a  striking  testimony  of 
its  infamy.  His  meditations  supported  his 
pious  fervour,  and,  recalling  to  his  mind  the 
fact  that  Thais  had  received  Nicias  into  her 
bed,  his  horror  of  this  sin  became  so  great, 
that  all  his  blood  flowed  back  to  his  heart, 
and  his  breast  was  ready  to  burst.  His  curses, 
stifled  in  his  throat,  gave  place  to  the  grind- 
ing of  his  teeth.  He  sprang  up,  and  stood 


THE    PAPYRUS  179 

before   her,   pale,  terrible,   full   of  God.  looked 
down  into  her  soul,  and  spat  in  her  face. 

She  quietly  wiped  her  face  without  halting 
Then  he  followed  her,  looking  down  upon  her 
as  if  she  were  an  abyss.  He  walked  in  holy 
irritation.  He  thought  of  avenging  Christ,  so 
that  Christ  could  not  avenge  himself,  when  he 
saw  a  spot  of  blood  which  had  dropped  upon 
the  sand  from  the  foot  of  Thais.  Then  he  felt 
the  freshness  of  an  unknown  breath  enter  his 
open  heart,  sobs  mounted  to  his  lips  in  abund- 
ance, he  wept,  he  ran  to  prostrate  himself 
before  her,  he  called  her  his  sister,  and  kissed 
her  bleeding  feet.  He  murmured  a  hundred 
times : 

"  My  sister,  my  sister,  my  mother,  most 
holy ! " 

He  prayed  : 

"  Angels  of  heaven,  take  this  precious  drop 
of  blood,  and  bear  it  to  the  Saviour's  throne. 
May  a  miracle-working  anemone  flower  in  the 
sand  watered  by  the  blood  of  Thais,  so  that  all 
those  who  see  this  flower  may  recover  purity 
of  heart  and  mind !  O  holy,  holy,  most  holy 
Thais!" 

As  he  prayed  and  prophesied,  a  boy  rode 
by  upon  a  donkey.  Paphnutius  ordered  him 


i8o  THAIS 

to  dismount,  seated  Thais  upon  the  animal, 
took  the  bridle,  and  resumed  the  journey. 
Towards  evening,  coming  upon  a  canal  shaded 
with  beautiful  trees,  he  fastened  the  donkey  to 
a  tree,  and,  seating  himself  upon  a  mossy 
stone,  broke  bread  with  Thais,  and  they  ate  it 
seasoned  with  salt  and  hyssop.  They  d rank- 
fresh  water  from  the  palms  of  their  hands,  and 
conversed  of  things  eternal.  She  said  : 

"I   have  never  drunk    such  pure  water,  nor 
breathed   such  light  air,  and   I    feel   that  God 
floats  in  the  passing  breeze." 
Paph'nutius  replied  : 

"  See,  it  is  evening,  my  sister.  The  blue 
shadows  of  the  night  cover  the  hills.  But  you 
will  soon  see  shining  in  the  dawn  the  taber- 
nacles of  life ;  you  will  soon  see  the  rosy  dawn 
of  the  eternal  morning." 

They  walked  all  night  and,  while  the  crescent 
moon  lit  up  the  silver  crests  of  the  waves,  sang 
psalms  and  canticles.  When  the  sun  rose,  the 
desert  stretched  before  them  like  an  immense 
lion's  skin  spread  upon  Lybian  soil.  On  the 
outskirts  of  the  sand  white  huts  stood  out  in 
the  light  of  the  dawn,  near  some  palm-trees. 

"  Father,"  asked  Thai's,  "  are  those  the  taber- 
nacles of  life  ?  " 


THE   PAPYRUS  181 

« 

"  You  have  said  it,  my  daughter  and  sister," 
Paphnutius  replied.  "  That  is  the  house  of 
refuge,  in  which  I  shall  enclose  you  with  my 
own  hands." 

Soon  they  could  see  on  all  sides  women  be- 
stirring themselves  around  the  Asiatic  dwellings 
like  bees  around  their  hives.  Some  were  baking 
bread,  while  others  were  preparing  vegetables ; 
several  were  spinning  wool,  and  the  light  of 
heaven  descended  upon  them  like  a  smile  from 
God.  Others  were  meditating  in  the  shade  of 
the  tamarisks  ;  their  white  hands  hung  at  their 
sides,  for,  being  full  of  love,  they  had  chosen 
the  part  of  Magdalen,  and  they  performed  no 
duties  except  prayer  and  contemplation  and 
ecstasy.  For  that  reason  they  were  called 
Marys,  and  were  clothed  in  white.  Those  who 
worked  with  their  hands  were  called  Marthas, 
and  wore  blue  robes.  All  were  veiled,  but  the 
youngest  allowed  curls  to  hang  down  upon  their 
foreheads,  although  it  is  possible  that  they  did 
so  unwittingly,  as  this  was  contrary  to  the  rules. 
An '  extremely  old  lady,  tall  and  white,  was 
going  from  hut  to  hut,  leaning  upon  a  hard 
wood  crutch,  and  Paphnutius  approached  her 
respectfully,  kissed  the  edge  of  her  veil,  and 
said  : 


182  THAIS 

"  The  peace  of  God  be  with  you,  venerable 
Albina  !  I  have  brought  to  the  hive,  of  which 
you  are  queen,  a  bee  which  I  found  lost  upon 
a  flowerless  path.  I  have  taken  her  in  the 
hollow  of  my  hand  and  warmed  her  with  my 
breath.  I  give  her  to  you." 

He  pointed  with  his  finger  to  the  actress,  who 
was  kneeling  before  the  daughter  of  the  Caesars. 

Albina  fixed  a  piercing  glance  upon  Thais 
for  a  moment,  ordered  her  to  rise,  kissed  her 
forehead,  and  then,  turning  to  the  monk,  she 
said  : 

"  We  will  place  her  among  the  Marys." 

Paphnutius  then  told  her  by  what  means 
Thai's  had  been  brought  to  the  house  of  refuge, 
and  asked  for  her  to  be  first  confined  alone  in 
a  hut.  The  abbess  consented  ;  and  led  her  to 
a  hut  left  empty  by  the  death  of  the  virgin 
Laeta,  who  had  sanctified  it.  There  was  in  the 
narrow  room  only  a  bed,  a  table  and  a  pitcher, 
and  Thais,  when  she  put  her  foot  upon  the 
threshold,  was  filled  with  infinite  joy. 

"  I  desire  to  close  her  door  myself,"  said 
Paphnutius,  "  and  place  a  seal  on  it  which 
Jesus  will  come  and  break." 

He  went  to  the  edge  of  the  fountain,  took  a 
handful  of  damp^clay,  put  one  of  his  hairs  upon 


THE    PAPYRUS  183 

it  with  a  little  saliva  and  applied  it  to  one  of 
the  cracks  of  the  door.  Then  approaching  the 
window,  near  which  Thai's  stood  peaceful  and 
contented,  he  fell  on  his  knees,  praised  God 
three  times,  and  cried  : 

"  How  amiable  is  she  who  walks  in  the  paths 
of  life!  How  lovely  are  her  feet  and  re- 
splendent her  face ! " 

He  rose,  lowered  his  hood  over  his  eyes,  and 
slowly  departed. 

Albina  called  one  of  the  virgins. 

"  Daughter,"  said  she,  "  take  Thai's  all  she 
needs  :  bread,  water,  and  a  three-holed  flute." 


Ill 
THE    EUPHORBIUM 


THE    EUPHORBIUM 

PAPHNUTIUS  was  on  his  way  back  to  the  holy 
desert.  He  had  embarked  at  Athribis,  upon 
the  boat  which  ascended  the  Nile  to  carry 
provisions  to  the  monastery  of  the  Abbot 
Serapion.  When  he  disembarked,  his  disciples 
advanced  to  meet  him  with  great  demonstra- 
tions of  joy.  Some  raised  their  hands  to 
heaven,  others,  prostrate  upon  the  earth,  kissed 
the  priest's  sandals.  For  they  already  knew 
what  he  had  accomplished  in  Alexandria.  In 
the  same  way  the  monks  usually  received 
secretly  and  rapidly  news  concerning  the  safety 
or  glory  of  the  Church.  News  spread  through 
the  desert  with  the  rapidity  of  a  simoom. 

While  Paphnutius  ploughed  through  the 
sand,  his  disciples  followed  him,  praising  God. 
Flavian,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  brethren, 
was  suddenly  seized  with  pious  delirium  and 
began  to  sing  an  inspired  canticle. 

When  they  reached    the   threshold    of  their 
master's  hut,  they  all  knelt  and  said : 
187 


1 88  THAIS 

"  Will  our  father  bless  us  and  give  us  each 
a  measure  of  oil  to  feast  at  his  return  ? " 

Paul  the  Simple  alone  remained  standing, 
and  asked  :  "Who  is  this  man?"  not  recognising 
Paphnutius.  But  no  one  noticed  him,  for  he 
was  known  to  be  without  intelligence,  though 
full  of  piety. 

The  priest  of  Antinoe  alone  in  his  hut 
thought :  "  I  have  at  last  regained  the  asylum 
of  my  rest  and  felicity.  I  have  returned  to 
the  citadel  of  my  content.  Whence  comes  it 
that  this  dear  roof  of  reeds  does  not  receive 
me  as  a  friend,  and  that  the  walls  do  not  say : 
'  Welcome ! '  Nothing,  since  my  departure, 
has  changed  in  this  my  chosen  dwelling.  Here 
is  my  table  and  bed.  Here  is  the  mummy's 
head  which  so  often  inspired  me  with  salutary 
thoughts,  and  there  is  the  book  in  which  I  have 
often  sought  the  images  of  God.  Yet  I  can 
find  nothing  of  what  I  left.  Things  appear 
despoiled  of  their  customary  grace,  and  I  seem 
to  see  them  to-day  for  the  first  time.  When 
I  look  at  this  table  and  couch,  which  1  years 
ago  made  with  my  own  hands,  this  black  and 
withered  head,  these  rolls  of  papyrus  covered 
with  the  words  of  God,  I  seem  to  see  the  relics 
of  a  dead  man.  After  knowing  them  so  well, 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  189 

I  no  longer  recognise  them.  Alas,  since  nothing 
around  me  is  really  changed,  it  is  I  who  am 
no  longer  what  I  was.  I  am  another.  The 
dead  man  was  myself.  What  has  he  become, 
O  God  ?  What  has  he  carried  away  ?  What 
has  he  left  me  ?  And  who  am  I  ?  " 

He  was  particularly  uneasy  at  finding  that 
his  hut  was  small,  when,  considering  it  with  the 
eyes  of  faith,  it  should  have  seemed  immense, 
since  the  infinite  of  God  commenced  there. 

When  he  began  to  pray  with  his  forehead 
upon  the  earth,  he  partly  recovered  his  joyful- 
ness.  Hardly  an  hour  passed  in  prayer  before 
the  image  of  Thai's  stood  before  his  eyes.  He 
returned  thanks  to  God  : 

"Jesus,  it  is  thou  who  sendeth  her  to 
me.  I  recognise  thy  immense  goodness  : 
thou  wishest  me  to  be  pleased,  assured, 
and  calmed  by  the  sight  of  her  whom  I 
have  given  thee.  Thou  presentest  before  mine 
eyes  her  harmless  smile,  her  innocent  grace, 
her  beauty  from  which  I  have  plucked  the 
sting.  To  flatter  me,  Lord,  thou  showest 
her  to  me,  such  as  I  have  adorned  and  puri- 
fied in  thy  intent,  as  one  friend  recalls  with 
a  smile  to  another  the  agreeable  present  he 
has  received.  For  this  reason  I  see  this  woman 


190  THAI'S 

with  pleasure,  sure  that  her  vision  comes  from 
thee.  Thou  desirest  not  to  forget  I  have  given 
her  thee,  Jesus.  Keep  her,  since  she  please 
thee,  and  do  not  let  her  charms  shine  for  others 
as  for  thee." 

During  the  whole  night  he  could  not  sleep, 
and  saw  Thais  more  distinctly  than  he  had 
seen  her  in  the  Nymphs'  grotto.  He  bore 
witness  to  himself,  saying : 

"  What  I  did,  I  did  for  the  glory  of  God." 

But,  to  his  great  surprise,  he  had  no  peace 
in  his  heart.  He  sighed : 

"  Why  art  thou  sad,  O  my  soul,  and  why 
are  thou  disquieted  within  me  ?  " 

His  soul  remained  uneasy.  He  was  thirty 
days  in  the  state  of  sadness,  which  to  the 
hermit  presages  horrible  trials.  The  image  of 
Thai's  did  not  leave  him  night  or  day.  He 
did  not  drive  it  away,  because  he  still  thought 
it  came  from  God  and  was  the  image  of  a 
saint.  But  one  morning  she  visited  him  in  a 
dream,  with  her  hair  crowned  with  violets,  and 
was  so  redoubtable  in  her  sweetness,  that  he 
cried  out  with  fright  and  awoke  covered  with 
cold  sweat.  While  his  eyes  were  still  blinking 
with  sleep,  he  felt  a  warm  damp  breath  upon 
his  face :  a  little  jackal,  with  its  two  paws 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  191 

placed  upon  the  head  of  the  bed,  blew  its 
stinking  breath  at  him  and  laughed  from  the 
bottom  of  its  throat. 

Paphnutius  was  greatly  astonished  at  this, 
and  felt  as  if  a  tower  was  sinking  beneath 
his  feet.  In  fact  he  fell  from  the  summit  of 
his  lost  confidence.  For  some  time  he  was 
incapable  of  thought ;  then,  recovering  his 
senses,  his  meditations  only  served  to  increase 
his  uneasiness. 

"  There  are  two  explanations,"  he  said  to 
himself.  "  One  is  that  this  vision,  like  the 
preceding  ones,  comes  from  God  ;  it  was  good, 
and  my  natural  perversity  has  spoiled  it,  as 
wine  turns  sour  in  a  dirty  glass.  I  have,  by 
my  unworthiness,  changed  edification  into 
scandal,  and  the  devil's  jackal  has  at  once 
obtained  a  great  advantage.  The  other  is, 
that  this  vision  did  not  come  from  God,  but 
from  the  devil,  and  was  evil.  In  this  case,  I 
doubt  whether  the  preceding  ones  had,  as 
I  believed  them  to  have,  a  celestial  origin.  I 
am,  in  that  case,  incapable  of  that  kind  of 
discernment  necessary  to  an  ascetic.  In  both 
cases,  God  shows  his  estrangement  from  me, 
and  I  feel  its  effect,  without  being  able  to 
explain  the  cause." 


192  THAIS 

He  reasoned  in  this  way,  and  prayed  in 
anguish  : 

"  O  just  God,  for  what  trials  dost  thou  reserve 
thy  servant,  if  the  apparitions  of  thy  saints  are 
a  danger  to  them  ?  Make  me  to  know,  by  an 
intelligible  sign,  what  comes  from  thee,  and 
what  from  the  other." 

As  God,  whose  designs  are  impenetrable, 
did  not  judge  it  necessary  to  enlighten  his 
servant,  Paphnutius,  plunged  into  doubt,  re- 
solved to  think  no  more  of  Thai's.  But  his 
resolution  was  barren.  The  absent  one  was 
upon  him.  She  looked  at  him  while  he  was 
reading,  meditating,  praying,  or  in  contempla- 
tion. Her  ideal  approach  was  preceded  by 
a  slight  noise,  like  the  rustling  of  a  woman's 
robe,  and  these  visions  had  an  exactitude  not 
presented  by  realities,  which  are  themselves 
moving  and  confused,  while  phantoms  pro- 
ceeding from  solitude  bear  their  most  marked 
characteristics,  and  present  an  all-powerful 
fixity.  She  came  to  him  in  various  shapes  ; 
sometimes  pensive,  her  forehead  crowned  with 
her  last  perishable  crown,  clad,  as  at  the  ban- 
quet of  Alexandria,  in  a  mauve-coloured  robe, 
embroidered  with  silver  flowers ;  sometimes 
voluptuous,  in  a  cloud  of  airy  gauze,  and  bathed 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  193 

in  the  warm  shadows  of  the  Nymphs'  grotto ; 
sometimes  pious  and  radiant  in  the  sackcloth 
of  celestial  joy ;  sometimes  tragic,  her  eyes 
swimming  with  the  horror  of  death,  and  show- 
ing her  naked  breast,  covered  with  the  blood 
of  her  broken  heart.  The  most  disturbing  part 
of  these  visions  to  him  was  the  return  of 
crowns,  tunics,  and  veils,  which  he  had  burnt 
with  his  own  hands  ;  it  became  evident  to 
him  that  these  things  had  an  indestructible 
soul,  and  he  cried  : 

"  Here  are  the  countless  souls  of  the  sins  of 
Thai's  come  to  me  !  " 

When  he  turned  his  head  he  felt  Thais 
behind  him,  and  was  still  more  uneasy.  His 
misery  was  cruel.  But  as  his  soul  and  body 
remained  pure  in  the  midst  of  temptation,  he 
hoped  in  God  and  reproached  him  tenderly. 

"  My  God,  if  I  went  so  far  to  seek  her 
among  the  Gentiles,  it  was  for  thee  not  for 
myself.  It  would  not  be  right  for  me  to 
suffer  for  what  I  did  in  thy  interest.  Protect 
me,  gentle  Jesus !  My  Saviour,  rescue  me  ! 
Do  not  permit  the  phantom  to  accomplish 
that  which  the  body  has  failed  to  do.  Having 
triumphed  over  the  flesh,  do  not  allow  the 
shadow  to  confound  me.  I  know  that  I  am 
N 


194  THAIS 

now  exposed  to  greater  dangers  than  ever 
before.  I  know  by  experience  that  the  dream 
has  more  power  than  the  reality.  How  could 
it  be  otherwise,  since  it  is  itself  a  superior 
reality?  It  is  the  soul.  Plato  himself,  though 
he  was  but  an  idolater,  recognised  the  real 
existence  of  ideas.  At  that  banquet  of  demons, 
to  which  thou  accompanied  me,  Lord,  I  heard 
men,  it  is  true  soiled  with  crime,  but  certainly 
not  void  of  intelligence,  agree  in  recognising 
that  the  things  we  perceive  in  solitude,  medita- 
tion, and  ecstasy  are  real,  and  thy  Scriptures, 
O  God,  bear  witness  many  times  to  the  virtue 
of  dreams,  and  the  power  of  visions  formed 
either  by  thyself,  thou  splendid  God,  or  by 
thine  adversary." 

A  new  man  was  in  him  now  he  reasoned 
with  God,  and  God  did  not  hasten  to  enlighten 
him.  His  nights  were  one  long  dream,  and 
his  days  were  not  distinguishable  from  his 
nights.  One  morning  he  awoke  uttering  sighs 
like  those  which,  in  the  light  of  the  moon,  issue 
from  the  tombs  of  the  victims  of  crime.  Thai's 
had  come  displaying  her  bleeding  feet,  and 
while  he  wept  she  had  glided  into  his  bed. 
He  remained  no  longer  in  doubt ;  the  image 
of  Thais  was  an  impure  one. 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  195 

His  heart  revolting  with  disgust,  he  rose 
from  his  soiled  couch,  and  hid  his  face  in  his 
hands  to  shade  it  from  the  light  of  day.  The 
hours  passed  without  removing  his  shame.  In 
his  hut  all  was  silent.  For  the  first  time  for 
many  days  Paphntitius  was  alone.  The 
phantom  had  at  last  left  him  ;  but  its  absence 
even  was  fearful  to  him.  There  was  nothing 
to  distract  his  attention  from  the  recollection 
of  the  dream.  He  thought  in  horror : 

"  Why  did  I  not  repulse  it?  Why  did  I  not 
tear  myself  from  its  cold  arms  and  burning 
knees  ?  " 

He  dared  not  pronounce  God's  name  near 
that  abominable  couch,  and  he  feared  that,  as 
his  hut  was  so  profane,  the  demons  would 
enter  it  at  all  hours.  His  fears  were  not 
without  foundation.  Seven  little  jackals,  hardly 
stopping  at  the  door,  entered  in  single  file,  and 
squatted  beneath  his  bed.  At  the  hour  of 
vespers  an  eighth  came,  whose  smell  was 
infectious.  The  next  day  a  ninth  joined  the 
others,  and  soon  there  were  thirty,  then  sixty, 
then  eighty.  They  became  smaller  as  they 
multiplied,  and  though  they  were  only  the 
size  of  rats  they  covered  the  floor,  the  bed, 
and  the  stool.  One  of  them  leapt  upon  the 


196  THAIS 

wooden  shelf  at  the  head  of  the  bed,  and, 
putting  its  fore-paws  upon  the  mummy's 
head,  looked  at  the  monk  with  eyes  of  fire. 
Each  day  fresh  jackals  appeared. 

To  expiate  the  abomination  of  his  dream, 
and  rid  himself  of  impure  thoughts,  Paphnutius 
resolved  to  leave  his  hut,  which  was  now  un- 
clean, and  go  into  the  heart  of  the  desert, 
and  there  give  himself  up  to  wonderful 
austerities,  singular  labours,  and  new  penance. 
But  before  doing  so  he  visited  the  old  man 
Palemon  to  ask  his  advice. 

He  found  him  in  his  garden  watering  his 
lettuce.  It  was  sunset.  The  blue  Nile  flowed 
at  the  foot  of  the  violet  hills.  The  good  man 
was  walking  gently,  so  as  not  to  disturb  a 
dove  which  had  settled  upon  his  shoulders. 

"The  Lord  be  with  you,"  said  he,  "brother 
Paphnutius.  Admire  his  goodness.  He  sends 
me  beasts  he  has  created,  so  that  I  may 
talk  to  them  of  his  works,  and  so  that  I  may 
glorify  him  in  the  birds  of  the  air.  Look 
at  this  dove,  notice  the  changing  clouds  of  its 
neck,  and  tell  me  if  it  is  not  a  beautiful  work 
of  God.  But  have  you  not,  brother,  to  talk  to 
me  upon  some  holy  subject?  If  that  is  so,  I 
will  put  down  my  watering-pot  and  listen." 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  197 

Paphnutius  told  the  old  man  of  his  journey, 
his  return,  his  visions  in  the  day,  and  his 
dreams  at  night,  without  omitting  the  criminal 
dream  and  the  host  of  jackals. 

"  Do  you  not  think,  father,"  added  he,  "  that 
I  must  hide  in  the  desert,  so  as  to  accomplish 
extraordinary  labours  and  astonish  the  devil 
by  my  austerity  ?  " 

"  I  am  only  a  poor  sinner,"  Palemon  replied, 
"and  I  know  men  ill,  having  passed  all  my 
life  in  this  garden  with  gazelles,  hares,  and 
pigeons.  But  it  seems  to  me,  brother,  that 
your  malady  arises  from  passing  without 
caution  from  the  agitation  of  the  world  to 
the  calm  of  the  desert.  These  quick  changes 
cannot  but  impair  the  health  of  your  soul. 
You  are,  brother,  like  a  man  who  exposes 
himself  in  a  short  time  to  great  heat  and 
cold.  A  cough  is  wracking  you  and  fever  is 
tormenting  you.  In  your  place,  brother 
Paphnutius,  far  from  immediately  withdraw- 
ing to  some  frightful  desert,  I  would  have 
the  distractions  suitable  for  a  monk  and  holy 
priest.  I  would  visit  the  monasteries  in  the 
neighbourhood.  Some  of  them  are  admirable, 
according  to  report.  .That  of  Serapion  contains, 
I  have  been  told,  1432  cells.  Monks  are  there 


198  THAI'S 

divided  into  as  many  legions  as  there  are  letters 
in  the  Greek  alphabet.  I  am  assured,  too, 
that  certain  resemblance  between  the  char- 
acters of  the  monks  and  the  figures  of  the 
letters  which  designate  them,  are  observed, 
and  that,  as  an  example,  those  who  are 
placed  under  the  letter  '  z '  have  uncertain 
characters,  while  those  ranged  under  the 
letter  'i'  have  a  perfectly  upright  mind.  If 
I  were  in  your  place,  brother,  I  should  go 
and  assure  myself  of  this  with  my  own  eyes, 
and  I  should  have  no  rest  till  1  had  contem- 
plated such  a  wonderful  sight.  I  should  not 
fail  to  study  the  constitutions  of  the  different 
communities  scattered  on  the  banks  of  the 
Nile,  so  as  to  be  able  to  compare  them. 
Those  are  duties  fit  for  a  priest  such  as  you. 
You  have  heard  that  Ephrem  the  abbot  has 
drawn  up  spiritual  rules  of  great  beauty.  With 
his  permission,  you,  who  are  a  skilful  scribe, 
could  copy  them.  I  could  not ;  for  my  hands, 
used  to  the  spade,  would  not  have  the  supple- 
ness necessary  to  direct  the  writer's  fine  reed 
over  the  papyrus.  But,  brother,  you  possess 
a  knowledge  of  letters,  and  you  must  thank 
God  for  it,  for  good  writing  cannot  be  too 
much  admired.  The  work  of  copyist  and 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  199 

reader  is  the  greatest  safeguard  against  evil 
thoughts.  Brother  Paphnutius,  why  not  write 
down  the  words  of  our  fathers  Paul  and 
Anthony  ?  Little  by  little  in  these  pious 
labours  you  will  recover  your  peace  of  soul 
and  mind  ;  solitude  will  become  beautiful  to 
you  once  more,  and  you  will  soon  be  in  a  fit 
state  of  mind  to  resume  the  ascetic  labours  you 
performed  before  your  voyage  interrupted  them. 
In  the  days  when  our  father  Anthony  was 
among  us  he  used  to  say :  '  Excess  of  fasting 
produces  weakness,  and  weakness  engenders 
inertia.  Some  monks  ruin  their  bodies  by  in- 
discreetly prolonged  fasting.  Of  them  it  might 
be  said, '  They  plunge  a  dagger  into  their  breast 
and  hand  themselves  over  to  the  demon's  power.' 
Thus  spake  the  holy  man  Anthony ;  I  am 
but  an  ignorant  man,  but  by  God's  grace  I 
have  retained  our  father's  words." 

Paphnutius  thanked  Palemon,  and  promised 
to  meditate  upon  his  advice.  After  crossing 
the  reed  fence  which  surrounded  the  little 
garden,  he  turned  back  and  saw  the  gardener 
watering  his  lettuce  with  the  dove  upon  his 
bent  back.  At  this  sight  he  felt  a  desire  to 
weep. 

Returning   to   his   hut,    he   found    a   strange 


200  THAIS 

swarm  there.  It  seemed  like  grains  of  sand 
driven  by  a  furious  wind,  but  he  recognised 
it  to  be  myriads  of  little  jackals.  This  night 
he  saw  in  a  dream  a  lofty  stone  column,  sur- 
mounted by  a  human  figure,  and  he  heard  a 
voice  say  : 

"  Mount  this  column  !  " 

On  awakening,  persuaded  that  the  dream 
came  to  him  from  heaven,  he  assembled  his 
disciples  and  spoke  to  them  thus : 

"  Well  -  beloved  sons,  I  leave  you  to  go 
whither  God  sends  me.  In  my  absence  obey 
Flavian  as  if  he  were  myself,  and  take  care 
of  our  brother  Paul.  My  blessing  be  upon 
you  all.  Adieu." 

While  he  walked  away,  they  remained  pros- 
trate, and  when  they  rose  they  could  see  his 
great  black  form  on  the  .horizon  of  sand. 

He  walked  day  and  night,  till  he  reached  the 
ruins  of  that  temple  built  by  idolaters,  in  which 
he  had  slept,  amid  scorpions  and  sirens,  when 
on  his  wonderful  voyage.  The  walls  covered 
with  magic  symbols  were  still  standing. 
Thirty  gigantic  shafts,  terminating  in  human 
heads  or  lotus  flowers,  still  supported  enormous 
stones.  Standing  alone  at  the  end  of  the 
temple,  one  of  these  columns  had  shaken  itself 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  201 

free  from  its  former  burden.  It  had  as  a 
capital  a  woman's  smiling  head,  with  long 
eyes,  round  cheeks,  and  on  the  forehead  the 
horns  of  a  cow. 

When  Paphnutius  saw  it,  he  recognised  it 
as  the  column  which  had  been  shown  him 
in  his  dream,  and  guessed  its  height  to  be 
thirty-two  cubits.  Entering  the  nearest  village, 
he  had  a  ladder  made  of  that  height,  and 
when  it  was  placed  against  the  column  he 
mounted,  knelt  upon  the  capital,  and  said  to 
the  Lord  : 

"  Here  then,  O  Lord,  is  the  dwelling  thou 
hast  chosen  me.  Can  I  remain  here  in  thy 
grace  till  the  hour  of  my  death  ?  " 

He  had  taken  no  provisions,  committing 
himself  to  divine  Providence,  and  counting 
upon  receiving  from  the  charitable  peasants 
sufficient  for  life.  On  the  morrow,  towards  the 
hour  of  prayer,  women  and  children  came, 
bringing  dates  and  fresh  water,  which  the 
little  boys  took  up  to  the  top  of  the  column. 

The  capital  was  not  large  enough  for  the 
monk  to  extend  his  limbs,  so  he  slept  with 
his  legs  crossed  and  his  head  upon  his  breast, 
such  sleep  being  more  cruel  fatigue  to  him 
than  watching.  At  dawn  the  hawks  flapped 


202  THAIS 

him  with  their  wings,  and  he  awoke  full  of 
anguish  and  fear. 

It  happened  that  the  carpenter  who  had 
made  the  ladder,  feared  God.  Moved  at  the 
thought  that  the  holy  man  was  exposed  to 
sun  and  rain,  and  fearing  that  he  would  fall 
from  the  column  in  his  sleep,  the  pious  man 
built  a  roof  and  railing  to  it. 

The  fame,  however,  of  such  a  marvellous 
existence  spread  from  village  to  village,  and  the 
labourers  of  the  valley  came  on  the  Sabbath, 
with  their  wives  and  children,  to  contemplate 
the  Stylite.  The  disciples  of  Paphnutius, 
learning  the  situation  of  his  sublime  retreat, 
assembled  near  him,  and  obtained  permission 
from  him  to  build  huts  at  the  foot  of  the 
column.  Each  morning  they  came  and  stood 
in  a  circle  around  their  master,  and  listened 
to  his  words  of  wisdom. 

"  My  sons,"  he  said  to  them,  "  remain  like 
the  little  children  Jesus  loved.  In  that  is 
salvation.  The  sin  of  the  flesh  is  the  source 
and  beginning  of  all  sins ;  they  spring  from 
it  as  from  a  father.  Pride,  avarice,  idleness, 
anger,  and  envy  are  its  beloved  children.  I 
will  tell  you  what  I  saw  at  Alexandria ;  I  saw 
the  rich  carried  away  by  the  vice  of  luxury, 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  203 

which,  like  a  muddy  river,  washed  them  into 
the  salt  sea." 

The  abbots  Ephrem  and  Serapion,  when  in- 
formed of  this  new  penance,  wished  to  see  it 
with  their  own  eyes.  Sighting  in  the  distance 
the  sail  which  was  bringing  them  towards 
him,  Paphnutius  could  not  help  thinking  that 
God  had  placed  him  there  as  an  example  to 
the  hermits.  At  sight  of  him  the  two  holy 
abbots  did  not  dissimulate  their  surprise  ;  after 
consulting  together  they,  with  one  accord, 
began  to  blame  so  extraordinary  a  penance, 
and  exhorted  Paphnutius  to  descend. 

"  Such  a  life,"  said  they,  "  is  contrary  to  all 
custom  ;  it  is  singular,  and  beyond  all 
rules." 

Paphnutius  replied  to  them  : 

"  What  is  monachal  life  but  a  life  of  wonders  ? 
Must  not  a  monk's  works  be  as  singular  as 
himself?  A  sign  from  God  has  caused  me 
to  ascend  here ;  a  sign  from  God  will  make 
me  descend." 

Every  day  monks  came  in  troops  to  join 
the  disciples  of  Paphnutius,  and  built  them- 
selves shelters  around  the  aerial  hermitage. 
Some  of  them,  in  imitation  of  the  holy  man, 
ascended  other  parts  of  the  ruins  ;  but  when 


204  THAIS 

chided  by   their   brethren,  and  worn  out  with 
fatigue,  they  soon  descended. 

Pilgrims  flocked  from  all  parts.  Some  came 
from  afar,  and  were  hungry  and  thirsty.  A 
poor  widow  conceived  the  idea  of  selling  fresh 
water  and  melons  to  them.  Leaning  upon 
the  column  with  her  red  earthen  jars,  her  cups 
and  fruit  beneath  a  blue  and  white  striped 
awning  behind  her,  she  shouted  :  "  Who  desires 
to  drink?"  Following  her  example,  a  baker 
brought  bricks  and  built  an  oven,  hoping  to 
sell  bread  and  cakes  to  the  strangers.  As  the 
crowd  of  visitors  increased  without  ceasing, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  great  cities  of 
Egypt  began  to  arrive,  a  man,  desiring  to 
make  money,  built  a  caravansary  to  lodge 
masters  and  their  servants,  camels  and  mules. 
Soon  a  market  sprung  up  before  the  column, 
to  which  the  fishermen  of  the  Nile  brought 
their  fish,  and  the  gardeners  their  vegetables. 
A  barber,  who  shaved  in  the  open  air,  en- 
livened the  crowd  by  his  cheery  conversation. 
The  old  temple,  so  long  enveloped  in  silence 
and  peace,  was  full  of  motion  and  the  countless 
rumours  of  life.  Innkeepers  transformed  caves 
into  subterranean  halls,  and  nailed  to  their 
ancient  pillars  notices  surmounted  by  the 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  205 

image  of  the  holy  man  Paphnutius,  and  bear- 
ing the  inscription  in  Greek  and  Egyptian : 
"  Pomegranate  wine,  fig  wine,  and  the  real 
Cilician  beer,  sold  here."  Upon  the  walls, 
sculptured  with  pure  and  slender  profiles, 
merchants  hung  ropes  of  onions,  smoked  fish, 
dead  hares,  and  skinned  sheep.  In  the  even- 
ing the  rats,  ancient  guests  of  the  ruins,  fled 
in  a  long  file  towards  the  river,  while  the 
uneasy  ibis  stretched  their  necks  as  they 
placed  uncertain  feet  upon  the  lofty  cornices, 
towards  which  rose  the  smoke  of  kitchens, 
the  shouts  of  the  drinkers,  and  the  cries  of 
the  servants. 

All  around  surveyors  traced  out  streets,  and 
masons  built  convents,  chapels,  and  churches. 
At  the  end  of  six  months  a  town  had  risen, 
having  a  bodyguard,  tribunal,  prison,  and 
school  kept  by  an  old  blind  scribe. 

The  pilgrims  were  without  number.  Bishops 
and  church  dignitaries  hastened  there  full  of 
admiration.  The  Patriarch  of  Antioch,  who 
was  then  in  Egypt,  came  with  all  his  clergy. 
He  highly  approved  of  the  extraordinary 
conduct  of  the  Stylite,  and  the  heads  of  the 
churches  of  Lybia,  in  the  absence  of  Atha- 
nasius,  agreed  with  the  Patriarch.  Learning 


206  THAIS 

this,  the  abbots  Ephrem  and  Serapion  came 
to  excuse  themselves  for  their  former  con- 
demnation. Paphnutius  replied  to  them : 

"  Brethren,  understand  that  the  penance  I 
endure  is  hardly  equal  to  the  temptations 
which  are  sent  me,  the  number  and  strength 
of  which  astound  me.  A  man  viewed  from 
the  outside  is  small,  and  from  the  top  of  the 
socle,  whither  God  has  borne  me,  I  see  human 
beings  moving  like  mice.  But,  considered 
internally,  man  is  immense ;  he  is  as  great 
as  the  world,  for  he  contains  it.  All  that 
extends  before  me,  these  monasteries,  hostelries, 
barques  upon  the  river,  and  villages,  and  the 
fields,  canals,  sand,  and  mountains,  which  I 
see  in  the  distance,  are  as  nothing  compared 
with  what  is  in  me.  I  bear  in  my  heart  in- 
numerable cities  and  illimitable  deserts.  Evil 
and  death  stretches  over  this  immensity,  cover 
it  as  the  night  covers  the  earth.  I  am  in 
myself  alone  a  universe  of  evil  thoughts." 

He  spoke  thus  because  the  desire  of  women 
was  in  him. 

In  the  seventh  month,  there  came  from 
Alexandria,  Bubastis,  and  Sais,  women  who, 
though  long  barren,  hoped  to  obtain  children 
through  the  holy  man's  intercession,  and  the 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  207 

virtue  of  the  column.  They  rubbed  their 
barren  flanks  against  the  stone.  Then,  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach,  came  chariots  and 
litters,  which  stopped  and  crowded  beneath 
the  man  of  God.  Out  of  them  came  sick 
people  frightful  to  look  upon.  Mothers  pre- 
sented to  Paphnutius  their  young  children, 
whose  limbs  were  curved,  eyes  blind,  mouths 
foaming,  and  voices  harsh.  He  placed  his 
hands  upon  them.  The  blind  approached 
him  with  waving  arms,  and  raised  at  hazard 
towards  him  their  faces  pierced  with  two 
bleeding  holes.  Paralytics  showed  him  the 
perfect  immobility,  the  mortal  withering,  and 
the  hideous  contraction  of  their  members ;  the 
halt  presented  to  his  view  their  club  -  feet ; 
women  with  cancers  uncovered  before  him 
breasts  which  were  being  devoured  by  the 
invisible  vulture.  Dropsical  women  were 
placed  upon  the  earth  at  his  feet.  He  blessed 
them  all.  Nubians,  attacked  by  elephantine 
leprosy,  advanced  with  heavy  tread,  and  peered 
at  him  with  weeping  eyes  from  an  inanimate 
face.  He  made  the  sign  of  the  Cross  upon 
them.  They  brought  him  upon  a  litter  a 
young  girl  from  Aphroditopolis,  who,  after 
vomiting  blood,  slept  for  three  days.  She 


208  THAIS 

seemed  like  a  waxen  image,  and  her  parents, 
who  believed  her  to  be  dead,  had  placed  a 
palm  upon  her  breast.  Paphnutius  prayed 
to  God,  and  the  young  girl  raised  her  head, 
and  opened  her  eyes. 

As  the  miracles  worked  by  the  holy  man 
were  published  abroad,  the  unfortunate  people, 
attacked  by  the  disease  which  the  Greeks  call 
the  divine  malady,  hastened  to  him  from  all 
parts  of  Egypt  in  countless  legions.  As  soon 
as  they  perceived  the  column  they  were  seized 
with  convulsions,  rolled  upon  the  earth,  went 
into  a  frenzy ;  curled  themselves  into  a  ball. 
His  disciples,  and  this  is  almost  incredible, 
agitated  by  violent  delirium,  imitated  the  con- 
tortions of  epileptics.  Monks  and  pilgrims, 
men  and  women,  wallowed  and  writhed  pell- 
mell,  with  twisted  limbs  and  foaming  mouths, 
swallowing  handfuls  of  earth  and  prophesying. 
Paphnutius  from  the  top  of  his  column  felt  a 
tremor  run  through  his  limbs,  and  cried  to 
God: 

"  I  am  the  scapegoat,  and  I  take  upon  me 
all  the  impurities  of  this  people,  and  for  that 
reason,  Lord,  is  my  body  filled  with  evil 
spirits." 

Each  time  a  sick  person  went  away  cured, 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  209 

the  disciples  shouted,  without  ceasing,  as  they 
bore  him  in  triumph  : 

"We  have  just  seen  another  fountain  of 
Siloe ! " 

Already  hundreds  of  crutches  hung  from 
the  miraculous  column  ;  thankful  women,  too, 
hung  crowns  and  votive  images  upon  it. 
Greeks  traced  upon  it  ingenious  distiches,  and, 
as  each  pilgrim  engraved  his  name  upon  the 
stone,  it  was  soon  covered  to  a  man's  height 
with  an  infinity  of  Latin,  Greek,  Coptic,  Punic, 
Hebrew,  Syriac  and  magic  characters. 

When  the  feast  of  Easter  came,  there  was 
in  the  city  of  miracles  such  a  crowd  of  people 
that  the  elderly  believed  themselves  taken 
back  to  the  days  of  the  ancient  mysteries. 
Upon  a  vast  plain  the  speckled  robes  of  the 
Egyptians  mingled  with  the  burnus  of  the 
Arabs,  the  white  cotton  of  the  Nubians,  the 
short  cloak  of  the  Greeks,  the  toga  with  long 
folds  of  the  Romans,  and  the  scarlet  robes  of 
the  barbarians.  Veiled  women  passed  by  on 
their  donkeys,  preceded  by  black  eunuchs,  who 
cleared  a  way  for  them  with  blows  of  their 
staves.  Acrobats,  stretching  a  carpet  upon 
the  ground,  did  feats  of  skill,  and  wriggled 
elegantly  before  a  circle  of  silent  spectators. 
O 


210  THAIS 

Snake  -  charmers  unrolled  living  girdles  from 
their  outstretched  arms.  This  mighty  crowd 
shone,  glittered,  made  a  dust,  jingled,  shouted, 
and  grumbled.  The  imprecations  of  camel- 
drivers,  as  they  struck  their  beasts,  the  cries 
of  merchants,  who  sold  charms  against  leprosy 
and  evil  eye,  the  chanting  of  verses  from  the 
Scriptures  by  monks,  the  moaning  of  women  in 
the  prophetic  crises,  the  yelping  of  mendicants 
as  they  repeated  ancient  harem -songs,  the 
bleating  of  sheep,  and  braying  of  donkeys, 
the  shouts  of  sailors  to  tardy  passengers,  all 
mingled,  made  an  immense  hubbub,  and  this 
dominated  even  the  strident  voices  of  little 
naked  negroes  who  were  running  here  and 
there  offering  fresh  dates  for  sale. 

All  these  diverse  beings  were  stifling  under 
the  white  sky,  in  a  thick  atmosphere  loaded 
with  the  perfume  of  women,  the  odour  of 
negroes,  the  smoke  of  cooking,  the  vapours 
of  the  gums,  which  the  pious  bought  of 
shepherds  to  burn  before  the  holy  man. 

At  night  fires,  torches,  and  lanterns  were  lit 
on  all  sides,  and  everything  was  red  shadow 
and  black  form.  Upright,  in  the  midst  of  a 
circle  of  crouching  listeners,  an  old  man,  his 
face  lit  up  by  a  smoky  lamp,  told  how  once 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  211 

Bitiou  enchanted  his  heart,  snatched  it  from 
his  breast,  put  it  in  an  acacia,  and  then 
changed  himself  into  a  tree.  He  made 
gestures,  which  his  shadow  repeated  with 
laughable  deformations,  and  the  wonder- 
stricken  audience  uttered  cries  of  admiration. 
In  the  inns,  the  drinkers,  reclining  upon 
divans,  called  for  beer  or  wine.  Dancers, 
with  painted  eyes  and  naked  breasts,  per- 
formed before  them  religious  and  lascivious 
scenes.  Young  men  played  dice  apart,  and 
old  men  pursued  courtesans.  Above  these 
moving  forms  the  motionless  column  stood 
alone ;  the  horned  head  looked  into  the 
shadow,  and  above  it  Paphnutius  watched 
between  heaven  and  earth.  Suddenly  the 
moon  arose  above  the  Nile,  like  the  naked 
shoulder  of  a  goddess.  The  hills  streamed 
with  light  and  azure,  and  Paphnutius  thought 
he  saw  the  flesh  of  Thais  sparkling  in  the 
light  of  the  waters  among  the  sapphires  of 
the  night. 

The  days  passed,  but  the  holy  man  remained 
upon  the  column.  When  the  rainy  season 
came  the  water  from  heaven,  passing  through 
the  cracks  of  the  roof,  inundated  his  body ; 
his  benumbed  limbs  became  still  more  in- 


212  THAIS 

capable  of  motion.  Burnt  by  the  sun  and 
coloured  by  the  dew,  his  skin  began  to  crack  ; 
large  ulcers  ate  up  his  arms  and  legs.  But 
the  desire  of  Thais  consumed  him  within,  and 
he  cried  : 

"Is  it  not  enough,  O  God  of  Power!  More 
temptations  !  More  unclean  thoughts  !  More 
monstrous  desires !  Lord,  pass  into  me  the 
whole  luxury  of  men,  so  that  I  may  expiate 
it  all!  If  it  is  false  that  the  bitch  of  Argos 
has  taken  upon  herself  the  sins  of  the  world, 
as  I  heard  certain  forgers  of  impostures  say, 
still  this  fable  contains  a  hidden  sense,  the 
exactness  of  which  I  recognise  to-day.  For 
it  is  true  that  the  infamies  of  the  people  enter 
into  the  souls  of  the  saints  to  be  there  en- 
gulfed as  in  an  abyss.  So  the  souls  of  the 
just  are  soiled  with  more  mire  than  the  souls 
of  sinners  ever  contain.  Therefore  I  glorify 
thee,  my  God,  for  making  me  the  sink  of 
the  universe." 

But  one  day  a  great  rumour  spread  in  the 
holy  city,  and  even  rose  to  the  ears  of  the 
ascetic :  a  great  personage,  a  most  illustrious 
man,  the  prefect  of  the  fleet  of  Alexandria, 
Lucius  Aurelius  Cotta,  was  coming,  is  coming, 
is  approaching ! 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  213 

The  news  was  true.  Old  Cotta,  who  was 
setting  out  to  inspect  the  canals  and  the 
navigation  of  the  Nile,  had  several  times 
experienced  a  desire  to  see  the  Stylite  and 
the  new  city,  which  had  received  the  name 
of  Stylopolis.  One  morning  the  Stylopolitans 
saw  the  river  covered  with  sails.  Cotta 
approached  on  board  a  gilded  galley,  hung 
with  purple,  followed  by  his  flotilla.  He 
landed,  and  advanced,  accompanied  by  his 
secretary,  who  bore  his  tablets,  and  Aristeus 
his  doctor,  with  whom  he  loved  to  converse. 

A  numerous  suite  followed  him,  and  the 
bank  was  bright  with  arms  and  military 
uniforms.  He  stopped  a  few  paces  from  the 
column  and  began  to  examine  the  Stylite, 
wiping  his  face  with  his  toga.  Of  a  naturally 
curious  disposition,  he  had  in  his  long  voyages 
observed  much.  He  loved  to  recall,  and  medi- 
tated writing,  after  his  Punic  history,  a  book 
upon  the  singular  things  he  had  seen.  He 
seemed  much  interested  in  the  sight  before  him. 

"  How  strange,"  said  he,  blowing  and  sweat- 
ing. "  And  a  circumstance  worthy  of  note 
is,  that  this  man  has  been  my  guest.  Yes, 
this  man  came  to  sup  with  me  a  year  ago  ; 
after  that  he  carried  off  an  actress." 


2i4  THAIS 

And,  turning  to  his  secretary,  he  said : 
"  Note  that,  child,  upon  my  tablets ;  as  well 
as  the  column's  dimensions,  without  forgetting 
the  form  of  the  capital." 

Then  wiping  his  forehead  once  more,  he 
said  : 

"  Well-informed  persons  have  told  me  that 
since  our  monk  mounted  this  column  a  year 
ago,  he  has  not  left  it  for  a  moment.  Aristeus, 
is  that  possible  ?  " 

"  It  is  possible  to  a  fool  and  a  sick  man," 
replied  Aristeus,  "  but  would  be  impossible  to 
a  man  who  was  healthy  in  body  and  mind. 
Do  you  not  know,  Lucius,  that  sometimes 
maladies  of  the  soul  and  body  communicate 
to  those  who  are  afflicted  by  them  powers 
which  healthy  men  do  not  possess.  To  tell 
the  truth,  neither  good  nor  bad  health  really 
exist.  There  is  only  different  states  of  the 
organs.  From  studying  what  are  called 
maladies,  I  have  come  to  consider  them  as 
necessary  forms  of  life.  I  take  more  pleasure 
in  studying  them  than  in  combating  them. 
There  are  some  which  cannot  be  observed 
without  admiration,  and  which  conceal  under 
apparent  disorder  profound  harmonies,  and 
quartan  ague  is  indeed  a  very  beautiful  thing ! 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  215 

Sometimes  certain  maladies  of  the  body  de- 
termine the  exaltation  of  the  faculties  of  the 
mind.  You  know  Creon.  As  a  child  he  was 
stupid,  and  stuttered.  But  after  hurting  his 
head  by  falling  down  a  staircase,  he  became 
the  skilful  lawyer  whom  you  know.  This 
monk  must  be  afflicted  in  some  concealed 
organ.  Besides,  his  kind  of  existence  is  not 
quite  as  singular  as  it  seems  to  you,  Lucius. 
Recall  the  gymnosophists  of  India,  who  can 
remain  entirely  motionless  not  only  for  one 
year,  but  for  twenty,  thirty,  and  even  forty 
years." 

"By  Jupiter,"  replied  Cotta,  "that  is  a  great 
aberration !  For  man  is  born  to  act,  and 
inertia  is  an  unpardonable  crime,  since  it  is 
committed  to  the  prejudice  of  the  state.  I 
don't  quite  know  to  what  belief  to  attach  so 
fatal  a  practice.  It  is  likely  that  certain 
Asiatic  creeds  are  responsible  for  it.  At  the 
time  I  was  Governor  of  Syria,  I  saw  the 
phalli  erected  in  the  city  of  Hera.  A  man 
mounted  these  twice  a  year,  and  remained 
for  seven  days.  The  people  are  convinced 
that  this  man  obtains  the  prosperity  of  Syria 
by  thus  conversing  with  the  gods.  This 
custom  seemed  to  me  to  be  void  of  reason  ; 


216  THAIS 

but  I  did  nothing  to  injure  it.  For  I  think 
that  a  functionary  ought  not  to  abolish  the 
customs  of  the  people,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
ought  to  assure  their  observance.  It  is  not 
the  duty  of  the  government  to  impose  creeds  ; 
its  duty  is  to  give  satisfaction  to  those  which 
exist,  and  which,  good  or  bad,  have  been 
determined  by  the  spirit  of  the  times,  places, 
and  races.  If  it  undertakes  to  combat  them, 
it  shows  itself  revolutionary  in  spirit,  tyrannical 
in  action,  and  is  rightly  detested.  Besides, 
what  other  way  is  there  to  rise  above  vulgar 
superstitions  than  to  tolerate  and  understand 
them  ?  Aristetis,  my  advice  is  to  leave  the 
dreamer  at  peace  in  the  air,  exposed  only  to 
the  attacks  of  the  birds.  It  is  not  by  doing 
violence  to  him  that  I  will  take  advantage  of 
him,  but  by  rendering  account  to  myself  of 
his  thoughts  and  creed." 

He  panted,  coughed,  and  placing  his  hand 
upon  his  secretary's  shoulder,  said : 

"  Child,  note  that  in  certain  sects  of  the 
Christians  it  is  good  to  carry  off  courtesans  and 
to  live  upon  columns.  You  can  add  that  these 
customs  suppose  the  cult  of  lustful  deities. 
But  in  this  particular  we  must  ask  the  man 
himself." 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  217 

Then,  raising  his  head  and  shading  his  eyes 
from  the  sun  with  his  hand,  he  shouted  : 

"  Paphnutius !  If  you  remember  that  you 
were  my  guest,  answer  me.  What  are  you 
doing  up  there  ?  Why  did  you  ascend,  and  why 
do  you  remain  there?  Has  this  column  phallic 
significance  in  your  mind?" 

Paphnutius,  considering  Cotta  to  be  an 
idolater,  did  not  deign  to  reply.  But  Flavian, 
his  disciple,  approaching,  said  : 

"  Most  noble  lord,  this  holy  man  takes  the 
sins  of  the  world  upon  him  and  cures  its 
maladies." 

"  By  Jupiter,  do  you  hear  that,  Aristeus," 
cried  Cotta.  "  The  dreamer  practises  medicine 
like  you.  What  do  you  say  of  so  exalted  a 
brother  physician  ?  " 

Aristeus  shook  his  head,  saying : 

"  It  is  possible  that  he  cures  better  than  I  do 
certain  maladies,  such  as  epilepsy,  commonly 
called  the  divine  malady,  although  all  maladies 
are  equally  divine,  for  they  all  come  from  the 
gods.  But  the.  cause  of  this  disease  is  partly  in 
the  imagination,  and  you  will  see,  Lucius,  that 
this  monk  thus  perched  upon  the  head  of  the 
goddess  appeals  more  forcibly  to  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  sick  than  I  know  how  to  do,  bent  as 


218  THAIS 

I  am,  in  my  laboratory,  over  my  mortars  and 
phials.  There  are,  Lucius,  certain  forces  in- 
finitely more  powerful  than  reason  and  science." 

"  Which  ?  "  asked  Cotta. 

"  Ignorance  and  folly,"  replied  Aristeus. 

"  I  have  rarely  seen  anything  more  curious 
than  this  sight,"  replied  Cotta,  "  and  I  hope  that 
some  day  a  clever  writer  will  tell  the  story  of 
the  founding  of  Stylopolis.  But  even  the  rarest 
sights  must  not  detain  a  grave  and  laborious 
man  longer  than  absolutely  necessary.  Let  us 
go  and  inspect  the  canals.  Adieu,  Paphnutius ! 
or,  rather,  au  revoir !  If  ever  you  descend  to 
earth  and  return  to  Alexandria,  do  not  fail,  I 
beg  you,  to  come  and  sup  with  me." 

These  words  which  were  heard  by  the 
disciples,  ran  from  mouth  to  mouth,  and  as 
they  were  spread  abroad  by  the  faithful, 
added  imcomparable  splendour  to  the  glory  of 
Paphnutius.  Pious  imaginations  adorned  and 
transformed  them,  and  it  was  said  that  the 
holy  man  had,  from  the  top  of  the  column, 
converted  the  prefect  of  the  fleet  to  the  faith 
of  the  apostles  and  fathers  of  Nicaea.  The  faith- 
ful gave  to  the  last  words  of  Aurelius  Cotta  a 
figurative  meaning  ;  in  their  mouths  the  supper, 
to  which  this  personage  had  invited  the  ascetic, 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  219 

became  a  holy  communion,  a  spiritual  love-feast, 
a  celestial  banquet.  This  story  became  em- 
bellished with  many  marvellous  circumstances, 
which  the  inventors  themselves  were  the  first  to 
believe.  They  said  that  at  the  moment  Cotta, 
after  a  long  argument,  confessed  the  truth,  an 
angel  came  from  heaven  to  wipe  the  sweat  from 
his  forehead.  They  added  that  his  secretary 
and  doctor  were  also  converted.  When  the 
miracle  become  notorious,  the  deacons  of  the 
principal  churches  of  Lybia  wrote  it  down  as 
authentic.  From  that  time  it  may  be  said, 
without  exaggeration,  that  the  entire  world  was 
seized  with  a  desire  to  visit  Paphnutius,  and 
that  in  the  Occident,  as  well  as  in  the  Orient, 
every  Christian  turned  on  him  his  dazzled  eyes. 
The  most  illustrious  cities  in  Italy  sent  ambas- 
sadors to  him,  and  the  Roman  Caesar,  the  divine 
Constans,  who  upheld  Christian  orthodoxy, 
wrote  him  a  letter  which  his  ambassadors  pre- 
sented with  great  ceremony.  Now  one  night, 
while  the  city  stretched  at  his  feet  slept  in  the 
dew,  he  heard  a  voice  saying : 

"  Paphnutius,  you  are  famous  for  your  works, 
and  powerful  in  your  words.  God  has  raised 
you  up  for  his  glory.  He  has  chosen  you  to 
work  miracles,  cure  the  sick,  convert  Pagans, 


220  THAIS 

enlighten  the  fishermen,  confound  the  Aryans, 
and  re-establish  the  peace  of  the  Church." 

Paphnutius  replied  : 

"God's  will  be  done!" 

The  voice  replied  : 

"  Arise,  go  seek  the  impious  Constantius  in 
his  palace,  for  he,  instead  of  imitating  the 
wisdom  of  his  brother  Constans,  favours  the 
error  of  Arius  and  Marcus.  Go !  The  gates 
of  brass  shall  open  before  you,  and  your  sandals 
shall  ring  upon  the  golden  pavement  of  the 
basilicas,  before  the  throne  of  the  Caesars,  and 
your  terrible  voice  shall  change  the  heart  of 
the  son  of  Constantine.  You  shall  rule  over 
the  pacified  and  powerful  Church.  And  in  the 
same  way  that  the  soul  directs  the  body,  the 
Church  shall  govern  the  Empire.  You  shall 
be  placed  over  senators,  counts,  and  patricians. 
You  shall  make  the  people's  hunger  and  the 
audacity  of  the  barbarians  cease.  Old  Cotta, 
knowing  you  to  be  ruler,  shall  seek  the  honour 
of  washing  your  feet.  At  your  death  your 
robe  shall  be  taken  to  the  Patriarch  of  Alex- 
andria, and  great  Athanasius,  grown  grey  in 
his  glory,  shall  kiss  it  as  the  relic  of  a  saint. 
Go!" 

Paphnutius  replied  : 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  221 

"  God's  will  be  done  !  " 

Making  an  effort  to  stand  upright,  he  pre- 
pared to  descend.  But  the  voice,  divining  his 
idea,  said  to  him  : 

"Do  not  descend  by  the  ladder.  It  would 
be  acting  as  an  ordinary  man,  and  disregard- 
ing the  gifts  which  are  in  you.  Estimate  your 
power  better,  angelic  Paphnutius.  A  saint  as 
holy  as  you  should  fly  through  the  air.  Leap  ; 
the  angels  are  there  to  sustain  you.  Leap." 

Paphnutius  replied  : 

"  May  God's  will  reign  on  earth  as  in 
heaven ! " 

Balancing  his  long  arms,  outstretched  like 
the  featherless  wings  of  a  great  sick  bird,  he 
was  about  to  jump,  when  suddenly  a  hideous 
sneering  laugh  sounded  in  his  ear.  In  fear 
he  asked  : 

"Who  is  laughing  like  that?" 

"  Ah,  ah,"  yelped  the  voice,  "  we  are  not 
yet  at  the  end  of  our  friendship ;  you  will 
some  day  become  more  intimately  acquainted 
with  me.  Dear  friend,  it  was  I  who  made  you 
mount  here,  and  I  must  express  my  entire 
satisfaction  at  the  docility  with  which  you 
have  obeyed  my  wishes.  Paphnutius,  I  am 
satisfied  with  you." 


222  THAIS 

Paphnutius  murmured,  with  a  voice  choking 
with  fear : 

"  Get  thee  behind  me  !  I  recognise  you  :  you 
are  he  who  bore  Jesus  to  the  pinnacle  of  the 
Temple,  and  showed  him  all  the  realms  of 
this  world." 

He  fell  back  upon  the  stone  in  despair. 
"Why  did  I  not  recognise  you  before?"  he 
thought.  "  More  miserable  than  those  blind, 
deaf,  and  paralytics  who  hope  in  me,  I  have 
lost  the  sense  of  supernatural  things,  and,  more 
depraved  than  the  maniacs,  who  eat  the  earth, 
and  approach  corpses,  I  can  no  longer  dis- 
tinguish the  clamours  of  hell  from  the  voices 
of  heaven.  I  have  lost  even  the  discernment 
of  the  new-born  babe,  who  weeps  when  taken 
from  his  nurse's  breast,  of  the  dog  which 
tracks  its  master  by  its  scent,  and  of  the 
plant  which  turns  towards  the  sun.  I  am  the 
plaything  of  the  devils.  So  it  was  Satan  who 
brought  me  here.  When  he  placed  me  upon 
this  pinnacle,  luxury  and  pride  mounted  by 
my  side.  It  is  not  the  magnitude  of  my 
temptations  which  dismays  me.  Anthony 
upon  his  mountain  endured  the  like.  I  desire 
their  swords  to  pierce  my  flesh  under  the 
angels'  gaze.  I  have  even  succeeded  in  cher- 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  223 

ishing  my  tortures.  But  God  is  silent,  and 
his  silence  astounds  me.  He  leaves  me,  who 
have  only  him ;  he  leaves  me  alone  in  the 
horror  of  his  absence.  He  flies  from  me.  I 
desire  to  run  after  him.  This  stone  burns  my 
feet.  Quick,  let  me  depart,  let  me  overtake 
God." 

Immediately  he  seized  the  ladder  which 
remained  leaning  against  the  side  of  the 
column,  placed  his  foot  upon  it,  and  de- 
scending a  step,  found  himself  face  to  face 
with  the  beast's  head  :  it  smiled  strangely.  He 
was  certain  that  the  place  he  had  taken  for 
the  seat  of  his  repose  and  glory  was  only 
the  diabolical  instrument  of  his  trouble  and 
damnation.  He  hastily  descended  to  the 
ground.  His  feet  had  forgotten  the  earth  ; 
his  legs  trembled.  But  feeling  the  shadow 
of  the  cursed  column  upon  him  he  forced 
himself  to  run.  Everyone  slept.  He  traversed, 
without  being  seen,  the  great  square  sur- 
rounded by  inns,  hostelries,  and  caravansaries, 
and  rushed  down  a  lane  leading  towards  the 
Lybian  hills.  A  dog,  which  pursued  him, 
barking,  only  stopped  at  the  edge  of  the  sand. 
Paphnutius  fled  through  a  country  whose 
only  roads  are  the  tracks  of  wild  beasts. 


224  THAIS 

Leaving  behind  him  huts  abandoned  by 
coiners  of  bad  money,  he  continued  his 
desolate  flight  all  through  the  night  and  the 
next  day. 

At  last,  almost  dying  of  hunger,  thirst,  and 
fatigue,  and  not  yet  knowing  whether  God  was 
afar,  he  discovered  a  mute  city,  which  stretched 
right  and  left,  and  was  lost  in  the  purple  of  the 
horizon.  The  dwelling-places  far  apart,  and  all 
alike,  resembled  pyramids  cut  down  to  half 
their  height.  They  were  tombs.  The  gates 
were  broken  down,  and  out  of  the  shadow  of 
the  halls  shone  the  eyes  of  hyaenas  and  wolves 
which  were  feeding  their  cubs,  while  upon 
the  threshold  lay  the  bodies  of  the  dead, 
despoiled  by  brigands  and  gnawed  by  beasts. 
Crossing  this  city  of  the  dead,  Paphnutius  fell 
exhausted  before  a  tomb  standing  apart  near 
a  spring  crowned  with  palm-trees.  This  tomb 
was  very  ornate,  and,  as  there  was  no  gate, 
from  without  a  chamber  could  be  seen  full 
of  coiled  serpents. 

"  There  is,"  he  sighed,  "  my  chosen  dwell- 
ing, the  tabernacle  of  my  repentance  and 
penitence." 

He  crawled  inside,  drove  away  the  reptiles 
with  his  foot,  and  remained  prostrate  upon  the 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  225 

stones  for  eighteen  hours,  at  the  end  of  which 
he  went  to  the  fountain  and  drank  from  the 
palm  of  his  hand.  Then  he  gathered  dates 
and  a  few  twigs  of  lotus,  the  seeds  of  which 
he  ate.  Thinking  that  this  kind  of  life  was 
good,  he  made  it  the  rule  of  his  existence. 
From  morning  till  evening  he  did  not  raise 
his  forehead  from  the  stones. 

One   day,   while   he   was    thus   prostrate,  he 
heard  a  voice  saying  : 

"  Gaze  at  those  images  and  learn." 
Then,  raising  his  head,  he  saw  upon  the  walls 
of  the  chamber  paintings  representing  laugh- 
able and  familiar  scenes.  It  was  a  very  ancient 
work  of  marvellous  exactitude.  There  were 
cooks  blowing  the  fire  with  inflated  cheeks ; 
others  were  plucking  geese,  or  cooking  joints 
of  mutton  in  pots.  Further  on,  a  huntsman  was 
carrying  on  his  shoulders  a  gazelle,  pierced  with 
arrows.  Then  there  were  peasants  engaged  in 
sowing  and  harvesting.  Elsewhere  were  women 
dancing  to  the  music  of  violins,  flutes,  and  harps. 
A  young  girl  was  playing  the  theorbo.  A  lotus 
flower  shone  in  her  black  and  finely  plaited  hair. 
Her  transparent  robe  showed  the  pure  outline 
of  her  body.  Her  breasts  and  mouth  were  like 
flowers.  Her  beautiful  eyes  looked  out  from  an 
p 


226  THAIS 

exquisitely  turned  profile.  Her  figure  was  ex- 
quisite. Paphnutius  looked  at  her,  lowered  his 
eyes,  and  replied  to  the  voice  : 

"  Why  do  you  order  me  to  look  at  those 
images  ?  Without  a  doubt,  they  represent 
the  terrestrial  days  of  the  idolater  whose 
body  reposes  under  my  feet  at  the  bottom 
of  a  shaft  in  a  grave  of  black  basalt.  They 
recall  the  life  of  a  dead  man,  and  are,  in 
spite  of  their  brilliant  colours,  the  shades 
of  a  shade.  The  life  of  a  dead  man !  O 
vanity ! " 

"  He  is  dead,  but  he  has  lived,"  replied  the 
voice,  "and  you  will  die,  and  you  will  not 
have  lived." 

From  that  day  Paphnutius  had  not  a 
moment's  rest.  The  voice  spoke  to  him  with- 
out ceasing.  The  theorbo  -  player  looked  at 
him  fixedly  from  beneath  her  long  lashes. 
In  her  turn  she  spoke : 

"  See,  I  am  mysterious  and  beautiful.  Love 
me ;  exhaust  in  my  arms  the  love  which 
torments  you.  Of  what  use  will  be  your  fear? 
You  cannot  escape  me ;  I  am  the  beauty  of 
woman.  Whither  do  you  think  of  fleeing, 
madman  ?  You  will  find  my  image  in  the 
beauty  of  flowers,  in  the  grace  of  palms,  in 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  227 

the  flight  of  doves,  in  the  bounds  of  gazelles, 
in  the  undulating  course  of  streams,  in  the 
soft  light  of  the  moon,  and,  if  you  close  your 
eyes,  you  will  find  it  in  yourself.  A  thousand 
years  ago  the  man  who  sleeps  here  encircled 
with  bandages  upon  a  bed  of  black  stone 
pressed  me  to  his  breast.  A  thousand  years 
ago  he  received  his  last  kiss  from  my  mouth, 
and  his  sleep  is  still  perfumed  by  it.  You 
know  me  well,  Paphnutius.  Why  did  you  not 
recognise  me  ?  I  am  one  of  the  countless 
incarnations  of  Thais.  You  are  a  learned 
monk,  and  well  advanced  in  knowledge.  You 
have  travelled,  and  travel  teaches  most.  Often 
a  day  passed  abroad  brings  more  novelties 
than  ten  years  spent  at  home.  Now  you 
must  have  heard  that  Thais  lived  formerly 
in  Argos,  under  the  name  of  Helen.  She  had 
another  existence  in  Thebes  Hecatompylos. 
Thais  of  Thebes  was  myself.  Why  did  you 
not  divine  that?  I  have  in  my  lifetime 
taken  part  in  most  of  the  sins  of  the  world, 
and  now,  though  but  a  shade,  I  am  stili  capable 
of  being  a  partner  in  your  sins,  beloved  monk. 
Why  were  you  surprised  ?  Everywhere  you 
go,  you  will  be  certain  to  find  Thais." 

He   struck    his    forehead    upon    the   stones 


228  THAIS 

and  cried  out  in  fright.  Each  night  the 
theorbo-player  quitted  the  wall,  approached, 
and  spoke  in  a  clear  voice,  which  mingled 
with  her  cool  breath.  As  the  holy  man  re- 
sisted the  temptations  which  she  put  before 
him,  she  said  to  him  : 

"  Love  me ;  yield,  friend.  As  long  as  you 
resist  me  I  will  torment  you.  You  do  not 
know  a  dead  woman's  patience.  I  will  wait, 
if  it  is  necessary,  till  you  are  dead.  Being 
a  sorceress,  I  can  put  into  your  lifeless  body 
a  spirit  which  will  re-animate  it  and  which 
will  not  refuse  me  what  I  have  asked  of  you 
in  vain.  Think,  Paphnutius,  of  the  strangeness 
of  your  situation,  when  your  happy  soul  shall 
see  from  heaven  its  own  body  give  itself  up 
to  sin.  Even  God,  who  has  promised  to  return 
you  the  body  after  the  last  judgment  and  the 
consummation  of  the  centuries,  will  be  very 
much  embarrassed !  How  will  he  be  able 
to  install  in  celestial  glory  a  human  form 
inhabited  by  a  devil  and  in  the  power  of  a 
sorceress  ?  You  have  not  thought  of  this 
difficulty.  Nor,  perhaps,  has  God.  -Between 
ourselves,  he  is  not  very  subtle.  The  most 
simple  sorceress  easily  deceives  him,  and  if 
he  had  not  his  thunder  and  the  cataracts  of 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  229 

heaven — the  brats  of  the  village  would  pull 
his  beard.  He  certainly  is  not  so  cunning  as 
the  old  serpent  his  adversary.  The  latter  is 
a  marvellous  artist.  My  beauty  is  due  to  his 
work  upon  my  attire.  It  was  he  who  taught 
me  to  plait  my  hair,  and  make  myself  rose 
and  agate  nails.  You  have  too  long  dis- 
regarded him.  When  you  came  to  live  in 
this  tomb,  you  drove  away  the  serpents  which 
dwelt  here  with  your  foot,  without  troubling 
yourself  to  find  out  if  they  were  of  his  family, 
and  you  crushed  their  eggs.  I  am  afraid,  my 
poor  friend,  that  you  are  in  great  danger. 
You  had,  however,  been  warned  that  he  was 
a  musician  and  lover.  What  did  you  do? 
You  have  fallen  out  with  science  and  beauty. 
You  are  quite  miserable,  and  Jehovah  is  not 
coming  to  your  assistance.  It  is  not  likely 
he  will  come.  Being  as  large  as  all  things,  he 
cannot  move  without  space,  and  if,  impossible 
though  it  be,  he  made  the  least  movement, 
all  creation  would  be  overthrown.  Beautiful 
hermit,  he  will  give  me  a  kiss." 

Paphnutius  was  not  ignorant  of  the  wonders 
worked  by  the  magic  arts.  He  thought  in 
his  dire  distress  : 

"  Perhaps   the   dead    man  buried  at  my  feet 


230  THAIS 

knows  the  words  written  in  that  mysterious 
book  which  remains  concealed  not  far  from 
here  at  the  bottom  of  a  royal  tomb.  By  virtue 
of  those  words  the  dead,  resuming  the  form 
which  they  had  when  on  earth,  see  the  light 
of  the  sun  and  the  smile  of  women." 

His  fear  was  that  the  theorbo-player  and  the 
dead  man  would  embrace,  as  in  life,  and  that 
he  would  see  them.  Sometimes  he  thought 
he  heard  the  light  breath  of  kisses. 

Trouble  was  all  round  him,  and  now,  in  God's 
absence,  he  feared  to  think,  as  well  as  to  look. 

One  evening,  when  he  was  prostrate,  as  his 
custom  was,  an  unknown  voice  said  to  him  : 

"  Paphnutius,  there  are  more  people  on  earth 
than  you  think,  and  if  I  showed  you  what 
I  have  seen,  you  would  die  of  fright.  There 
are  men  with  only  one  eye,  that  being  in 
the  middle  of  their  forehead.  There  are  men 
with  only  one  leg,  who  hop  instead  of  walking. 
There  are  men  who  change  their  sex,  and 
there  are  women  who  become  men.  There 
are  tree-men,  whose  roots  grow  into  the  earth. 
There  are  headless  men,  too,  who  have  two 
eyes,  a  nose,  and  mouth  in  their  chests.  Do 
you,  in  good  faith,  believe  that  Jesus  Christ 
died  for  the  salvation  of  these  men  ? " 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  231 

On  another  occasion  he  had  a  vision.  He 
saw  in  a  bright  light  a  large  causeway,  streams, 
and  gardens.  Along  the  causeway  Aristobulus 
and  Chereas  galloped  their  Syrian  horses,  with 
the  love  of  the  chase  burning  on  their  cheeks. 
Under  a  portico  Callicrates  declaimed  verses ; 
satisfied  pride  trembled  in  his  voice,  and  shone 
from  his  eyes.  In  a  garden  Zenothemis 
gathered  golden  apples  and  caressed  an  azure- 
winged  serpent.  Clad  in  white,  and  wearing  a 
sparkling  mitre,  Hermodorus  meditated  be- 
neath a  sacred  persea,  which  bore  instead  of 
flowers,  little  heads  with  pure  profiles,  coifed 
like  Egyptian  goddesses,  vultures,  hawks,  or  the 
moon's  shining  disc,  while  apart  on  the  edge 
of  a  fountain  Nicias  studied  upon  a  millary 
sphere  the  harmonious  movement  of  the  stars. 

Then  a  veiled  woman  approached  the  monk, 
holding  in  her  hand  a  twig  of  myrtle.  She 
said  to  him  : 

"  Look !  some  seek  eternal  beauty,  and  put 
the  infinite  into  their  ephemeral  lives.  Others 
live  without  much  care  ;  but  by  simply  yield- 
ing to  their  good  nature  they  are  happy  and 
beautiful,  and  in  allowing  themselves  to  live 
they  render  glory  to  the  sovereign  artist  of 
all,  for  man  is  a  beautiful  hymn  of  God.  They 


232  THAIS 

all  consider  happiness  innocent,  and  joy  per- 
missible. Paphnutius,  if  they  were  to  be  right, 
what  a  dupe  you  would  be!" 

The  vision  faded. 

Thus  Paphnutius  was  tempted  without 
ceasing  in  body  and  mind.  Satan  did  not 
give  him  a  moment's  rest.  The  solitude  of 
this  tomb  was  more  thickly  peopled  than  the 
cross-roads  of  a  large  city.  The  demons 
uttered  loud  bursts  of  laughter,  and  millions 
of  larvae  and  lemures  performed  there  the 
image  of  the  works  of  life.  In  the  evening 
when  he  went  to  the  fountain  satyrs,  mingled 
with  fauns,  danced  around  him,  and  dragged 
him  into  their  lewd  steps.  The  demons  feared 
him  no  more.  They  overwhelmed  him  with 
jests,  obscene  taunts,  and  blows.  One  day 
a  devil,  not  taller  than  his  arm,  stole  the 
cord  which  he  used  as  a  girdle. 

He  murmured  : 

"  Thought/  where  hast  thou  led  me  ?  " 

He  resolved  to  work  with  his  hands,  so  as 
to  procure  for  his  mind  the  rest  it  needed. 
Near  the  fountain  large-leaved  bananas  grew 
in  the  shade  of  the  palms.  He  cut  off  their 
stalks  and  carried  them  into  the  tomb.  There 
he  ground  the  stalks  with  a  stone,  and  reduced 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  233 

them  to  fine  filaments,  as  he  had  seen  the 
rope-makers  do ;  for  he  proposed  to  make 
a  cord  in  place  of  the  one  the  devil  had 
stolen  from  him.  The  demons  felt  some 
annoyance ;  they  ceased  their  noise,  and  the 
theorbo  -  player  herself,  renouncing  magic, 
remained  quiet  upon  the  painted  wall. 
Paphnutius,  while  crushing  the  banana  stalks, 
confirmed  his  courage  and  faith. 

"With  the  assistance  of  heaven,"  he  said 
to  himself,  "  I  will  subdue  the  flesh.  As  for 
the  soul,  it  has  retained  hope.  In  vain  would 
the  devils  and  this  woman  like  to  inspire  me 
with  doubts  as  to  God's  nature.  I  will  answer 
them  from  the  mouth  of  the  apostle  John  : 
'  In  the  beginning  was  the  word,  and  the 
word  was  God.'  I  firmly  believe  that,  and 
if  it  is  absurd  I  then  believe  it  more  firmly 
still.  To  go  further,  it  must  be  absurd  ;  if 
it  were  not  I  should  not  believe  it,  I  should 
know  it.  Now,  knowledge  does  not  give  life ; 
it  is  faith  alone  that  saves." 

He  exposed  the  detached  fibres  to  the  sun 
and  dew,  but  each  morning  took  care  to  bring 
them  into  the  tomb  to  prevent  them  from 
rotting,  and  he  rejoiced  to  feel  in  himself  the 
re-birth  of  infant  simplicity.  When  he  had 


234  THAI'S 

woven  his  cord,  he  cut  the  rushes  to  make 
mats  and  baskets.  The  sepulchral  chamber 
resembled  the  workshop  of  a  basket-maker, 
and  Paphnutius  passed  easily  from  work  to 
prayer.  God,  however,  was  not  favourable 
to  him,  for  one  night  he  was  awakened  by 
a  voice  which  froze  him  with  horror  ;  he 
divined  that  it  was  the  voice  of  the  dead 
man. 

The  voice  uttered  a  rapid  call,  a  light 
whisper  : 

"  Helen,  Helen,  come  and  bathe  with  me. 
Come  quickly ! " 

A  woman,  whose  mouth  grazed  the  monk's 
ear,  replied  : 

"  Friend,  I  cannot  rise  ;  a  man  is  upon  me." 

Suddenly  Paphnutius  perceived  that  his  cheek 
was  resting  upon  a  woman's  breast.  He  recog- 
nised the  theorbo-player  who,  half  freeing 
herself,  raised  her  breast.  Then  he  embraced 
desperately  this  wanton  and  perfumed  flower 
of  the  flesh,  and  consumed  with  the  desire  of 
damnation,  he  cried  : 

"  Remain,  remain,  my  heaven  !  " 
~  But  she  was  already  standing  at  the*  door. 
She  laughed,  and  the  rays  of  the  moon  silvered 
her  smile. 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  235 

"  What  good  shall  I  do  by  remaining  ? "  she 
said.  "  The  shadow  of  a  shadow  suffices  a 
lover  endowed  with  an  imagination  as  vivid  as 
yours.  Besides,  you  have  sinned.  What  more 
do  you  need  ?  " 

Paphnutius  wept  throughout  the  night,  and 
when  the  dawn  came  he  breathed  a  prayer 
sweeter  than  a  plaint : 

"  Jesus,  my  Jesus,  why  dost  thou  leave  me  ? 
Thou  seest  the  danger  which  threatens  me. 
Come  to  my  aid,  gentle  Saviour.  Since  thy 
father  loves  me  no  longer,  since  he  hears  me 
not,  consider  that  I  have  only  thee.  From  him 
to  me  nothing  is  possible.  I  cannot  understand 
him,  and  he  cannot  pity  me.  But  thou  art 
born  of  a  woman,  that  is  why  I  hope  in  thee. 
Remember  thou  art  a  man.  I  implore  thee, 
not  because  thou  art  God  of  God,  light  of  light, 
very  God  of  very  God,  but  because  thou  hast 
lived  poor  and  feeble  upon  this  earth  where  I 
suffer,  because  Satan  wished  to  tempt  thy  flesh, 
because  the  sweat  of  thy  agony  froze  upon  thy 
brow.  It  is  thy  humanity  I  beseech,  my  Jesus, 
my  brother  Jesus  !  " 

After  praying  thus,  and  wringing  his  hands, 
a  formidable  burst  of  laughter  shook  the  walls 
of  the  tomb,  and  the  voice  which  had  sounded 


236  THAIS 

on  the  summit  of  the  column  said,  with  a 
sneer : 

"  That  is  a  prayer  worthy  of  the  breviary 
of  Marcus  the  heretic.  Paphnutius  is  an 
Aryan.  Paphnutius  is  an  Aryan  ! " 

The  priest  fell  lifeless,  as  if  struck  by 
lightning. 

When  he  opened  his  eyes,  he  saw  around 
him  monks  in  black  robes,  pouring  water  on 
his  temples,  and  reciting  exorcisms.  Several 
stood  upright,  holding  palms. 

"  As  we  crossed  the  desert,"  one  of  them  said, 
"  we  heard  cries  in  this  tomb,  and  entering, 
found  you  lying  inert  upon  the  stones.  With- 
out doubt,  the  demons  had  knocked  you  down 
and  fled  at  our  approach." 

Paphnutius,  raising  his  head,  asked  in  a  weak 
voice : 

"  Brethren,  who  are  you  ?  Why  are  you 
holding  palms  in  your  hands?  Is  not  this 
in  view  of  my  burial?" 

They  answered  him : 

"  Brother,  do  you  not  know  that  our  father 
Anthony,  at  the  age  of  105  years,  warned  of 
his  approaching  end,  has  descended  from  Mount 
Colzin,  whither  he  had  retired,  and  has  come 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  237 

to  bless  the  countless  children  of  his  soul.  We 
are  going  with  palms  to  meet  our  spiritual 
father.  But,  brother,  how  is  it  that  you  are 
ignorant  of  so  great  an  event?  Is  it  possible 
that  no  angel  has  come  to  warn  you  in  this 
tomb." 

"  Alas,"  replied  Paphnutius,  "  I  do  not  de- 
serve such  goodness,  and  the  sole  guests  of  this 
dwelling  are  demons  and  vampires.  Pray  for 
me !  I  am  Paphnutius,  priest  of  Antinoe,  the 
most  miserable  of  God's  servants." 

At  the  name  of  Paphnutius  all,  waving  their 
palms,  murmured  praises.  He  who  had  already 
spoken,  cried  with  admiration  : 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  are  that  holy  man 
Paphnutius,  so  celebrated  in  his  works,  that 
people  think  he  will  some  day  equal  the  great 
Anthony  himself?  O  most  venerable,  you  are 
the  man  who  converted  the  courtesan  Thais, 
and  who,  standing  upon  a  lofty  column,  was 
carried  off  by  the  seraphim.  Those  who 
watched  during  the  night  at  the  foot  of  the 
column  saw  your  happy  assumption.  Angels' 
wings  surrounded  you  in  a  white  cloud,  and 
your  extended  right  hand  blessed  the  dwellings 
of  men.  On  the  morrow,  when  the  people  could 
no  longer  see  you,  a  long  groan  rose  towards 


238  THAIS 

the  uncrowned  column.  But  Flavian,  your 
disciple,  published  abroad  the  miracle,  and 
assumed  the  government  of  the  monks  in  your 
place.  One  simple  man,  named  Paul,  was  the 
only  one  who  wished  to  contradict  this  unani- 
mous sentiment.  He  was  sure  that  he  had  seen 
you  in  a  dream  carried  off  by  devils  ;  the  crowd 
wished  to  stone  him,  and  it  is  a  wonder  he 
escaped  death.  I  am  Zozimos,  abbot  of  those 
hermits  who  are  prostrate  at  your  feet.  Like 
them  I  kneel  before  you  so  that  you  may  bless 
the  father  with  the  children.  Then,  you  shall 
tell  us  the  wonders  which  God  has  deigned  to 
accomplish  through  your  agency." 

"  Far  from  favouring  me  as  you  believe,"  re- 
plied Paphnutius,  "  the  Lord  has  tried  me  by 
frightful  temptations.  I  was  not  carried  off  by 
angels.  But  a  wall  of  shadow  rose  before  my 
eyes  and  walked  before  me.  I  lived  in  a  dream. 
Without  God,  everything  is  a  dream.  When  I 
made  the  voyage  to  Alexandria,  I  heard  many 
speeches  in  a  few  hours,  and  I  knew  that  the 
army  of  error  was  very  numerous.  It  pursued 
me,  and  I  am  surrounded  by  swords." 

Zozimos  replied  : 

"  Venerable  father,  we  must  consider  that 
saints,  and  specially  hermit- saints,  undergo 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  239 

terrible  temptations.  If  you  were  not  carried 
up  to  heaven  in  the  arms  of  the  seraphim,  it 
is  certain  that  the  Lord  has  granted  this  grace 
to  your  image,  since  Flavian,  monks  and  people, 
were  witness  of  your  assumption." 

Paphnutius  resolved  to  go  and  receive 
Anthony's  benediction. 

"  Brother  Zozimos,"  said  he,  "  give  me  one 
of  those  palms,  and  let  us  go  to  meet  our 
father." 

"  Let  us  go,"  replied  Zozimos ;  "  military 
order  suits  monks  who  are  above  all  soldiers. 
You  and  I,  being  abbots,  will  walk  in  front. 
The  others  shall  follow  us  singing  psalms." 

They  began  their  march,  and  Paphnutius 
said  : 

"  God  is  unity,  for  he  is  the  truth,  which  is 
one.  The  world  is  diverse,  because  it  is  error. 
A  person  must  turn  away  from  all  the  spectacles 
of  nature,  even  those  most  innocent  in  appear- 
ance. Their  diversity,  which  renders  them 
agreeable,  is  the  sign  that  they  are  bad.  For 
that  reason  I  cannot  see  a  bunch  of  papyrus 
under  the  sleeping  waters,  without  my  soul 
being  veiled  in  melancholy.  Everything  which 
the  senses  perceive  is  detestable.  The  least 
grain  of  sand  brings  a  danger.  Each  thing 


240  THAIS 

tempts  us.  Woman  is  simply  composed  of  all 
the  temptations  floating  in  the  air,  upon  the 
flowering  earth,  and  in  the  clear  waters.  Happy 
is  he  whose  soul  is  a  vast  seal !  Happy  he 
who  knows  how  to  become  mute,  blind,  and 
deaf,  and  who  understands  nothing  of  the 
world,  as  to  understand  God  !  " 

Zozimos,  after  meditating  upon  these  words, 
replied  as  follows  : 

"  Venerable  father,  it  is  necessary  for  me 
to  avow  my  sins  to  you,  since  you  have  bared 
your  soul  to  me.  So  we  will  confess  one 
another,  according  to  apostolic  usage.  Before 
becoming  a  monk,  I  led  an  abominable  life  in 
the  world.  At  Madaura,  a  city  celebrated  for 
its  courtesans,  I  sought  all  sorts  of  love.  Each 
night  I  supped  with  young  profligates  and 
flute-players,  and  I  returned  with  the  one  who 
pleased  me  most.  A  saint  as  yourself  would 
never  imagine  the  fury  of  my  desire.  It  will 
suffice  for  me  to  say  that  it  spared  neither 
matrons  nor  nuns,  and  spread  into  adultery 
and  sacrilege.  I  excited  by  wine  the  ardour 
of  my  senses,  and  I  was  quoted  rightly  as  the 
hardest  drinker  in  Madaura.  I  was  a  Christian, 
however,  and  retained  in  my  excesses  faith  in 
Christ  crucified.  After  wasting  my  substance 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  241 

in  debauchery,  I  was  beginning  to  feel  the  first 
pangs  of  poverty,  when  I  saw  the  most  robust 
of  my  companions  in  pleasure  rapidly  fade 
away  under  the  attacks  of  a  most  terrible 
malady.  His  knees  could  no  longer  support 
him  ;  his  shaking  hands  refused  to  obey  him  ; 
his  darkening  eyes  closed.  His  throat  gave 
forth  nothing  but  frightful  groans.  His  mind, 
more  sluggish  than  his  body,  slept.  For,  to 
punish  him  for  living  like  a  beast,  God  had 
changed  him  into  a  beast.  The  loss  of  my 
property  had  already  inspired  me  with  salutary 
reflections  ;  but  my  friend's  example  was  still 
more  precious ;  it  made  such  an  impression 
upon  my  heart  that  I  left  the  world  and 
returned  to  the  desert.  I  have  enjoyed  for 
twenty  years  a  peace  which  nothing  has  dis- 
turbed. I  follow  with  my  monks  the  trade  of 
weaver,  architect,  carpenter,  and  even  scribe, 
though,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  have  little  taste 
for  writing,  having  always  preferred  action 
to  thought.  My  days  are  full  of  joy  and  my 
nights  are  dreamless,  and  I  think  the  grace  of 
the  Lord  is  in  me,  because,  in  the  midst  of  the 
most  horrible  sins,  I  have  always  retained  hope." 
Hearing  these  words,  Paphnutius  raised  his 
eyes  to  heaven,  and  murmured  : 
Q 


242  THAIS 

"  Lord,  thou  look'st  upon  this  man  soiled 
by  so  many  crimes,  adultery,  sacrilege,  with 
gentleness,  and  thou  turnest  aside  from  me 
who  has  always  observed  thy  commandments ! 
How  obscure  is  thy  justice,  O  my  God  !  How 
impenetrable  are  thy  ways  !  " 

Zozimos  stretched  out  his  arms  : 

"  Look,  venerable  father :  from  the  horizon 
appears  what  seem  to  be  black  files  of  emigrant 
ants.  Those  are  our  brethren,  coming  like 
ourselves  to  meet  Anthony." 

When  they  reached  the  place  of  meeting 
they  discovered  a  magnificent  spectacle.  The 
army  of  hermits  extended  in  an  immense  semi- 
circle of  three  rows.  The  first  row  was  occupied 
by  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  desert,  cross 
in  hand,  and  their  beards  reached  the  ground. 
The  monks  ruled  by  the  abbots  Ephrem  and 
Serapion,  as  well  as  all  the  Cenobites  of  the 
Nile,  formed  the  second  row.  Behind  them 
stood  the  ascetics,  who  had  assembled  from 
far-distant  rocks.  Some  wore  upon  their  black 
and  withered  bodies  shapeless  rags,  others  had 
as  clothing  rushes  bound  together  with  viburnum. 
Several  were  naked,  but  God  had  covered  them 
with  hair  as  thick  as  a  sheep's  fleece.  They 
all  held  green  palms  in  their  hands,  they  might 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  243 

have  been  called  an  emerald  rainbow,  and  they 
were  comparable  to  the  choirs  of  the  elect,  or 
the  living  walls  of  the  city  of  God. 

The  assembly  was  so  perfectly  arranged  that 
Paphnutius  found  without  difficulty  the  monks 
who  were  under  his  rule.  He  placed  himself 
near  them,  after  taking  care  to  hide  his  face 
in  his  hood,  to  remain  unknown  to  them  and 
not  disturb  their  religious  expectancy.  Sud- 
denly a  mighty  shout  arose : 

"  The  Saint,"  was  shouted  on  all  sides.  "  The 
Saint,  there  is  the  great  Saint !  there  is  he, 
against  whom  hell  has  not  prevailed,  the  well- 
beloved  of  God  !  Our  father  Anthony  !  " 

Then  silence  reigned,  and  every  forehead 
was  prostrate  on  the  sand. 

From  the  top  of  a  hill  in  the  mighty  desert, 
Anthony  advanced,  supported  by  his  beloved 
disciples  Macairus  and  Amathas.  He  walked 
slowly,  but  was  upright,  and  in  him  could  be 
seen  the  remnant  of  superhuman  strength. 
His  white  beard  covered  his  broad  chest,  his 
polished  skull  reflected  rays  of  light  like  the 
forehead  of  Moses.  His  eyes  were  those  of 
an  eagle  ;  a  child-like  smile  hovered  round  his 
mouth.  He  rose,  to  bless  his  people,  though 
his  arms  had  been  wearied  by  a  century  of 


244  THAIS 

incredible  toil,  and  his  voice  uttered  at  last 
these  words  of  love : 

"  How  beautiful  are  thy  pavilions,  Jacob ! 
How  amiable  are  thy  tents,  Israel ! " 

Immediately  from  end  to  end  the  living 
wall  resounded  like  a  harmonious  roll  of  thunder 
with  the  psalm  :  "  Happy  is  the  man  who  fears 
the  Lord." 

Accompanied  by  Macairus  and  Amathas, 
Anthony  traversed  the  ranks  of  the  old  men, 
the  Anchorites  and  the  Cenobites.  This  man, 
who  had  seen  heaven  and  hell,  this  hermit 
who,  from  the  top  of  a  rock,  had  ruled  the 
Christian  Church,  this  saint  who  had  sustained 
the  martyrs'  faith  in  the  days  of  supreme 
trial,  this  doctor  whose  eloquence  had  battered 
down  heresy,  spoke  tenderly  to  each  of  his 
sons,  and  wished  them  familiar  adieus,  on  the 
eve  of  his  happy  death,  which  God  who  loved 
him  had  at  length  promised  him. 

He  said  to  the  abbots  Ephrem  and 
Serapion  : 

"You  command  numerous  armies,  and  you 
are  both  illustrious  strategists.  So  will  you 
in  heaven  be  clad  in  golden  armour,  and  the 
archangel  Michael  will  give  you  the  title  of 
commanders  of  his  forces." 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  245 

Seeing  the  old  man  Palemon,  he  kissed  him, 
and  said  : 

"  Here  is  the  sweetest  and  best  of  my 
children.  His  soul  gives  forth  a  perfume  as 
fragrant  as  the  flower  of  the  sweet-peas  he 
sows  each  year." 

He  spoke  to  the  abbot  Zozimos  thus : 

"  You  have  not  despaired  of  divine  good- 
ness, therefore  the  peace  of  the  Lord  is  in 
you.  The  lily  of  your  virtues  has  flourished 
upon  the  filth  of  your  corruption." 

His  conversation  to  all  of  them  showed 
remarkable  wisdom. 

To  the  old  men  he  said  : 

"The  apostle  saw  seated  around  the  throne 
of  God  twenty  -  four  old  men,  clad  in  white 
robes,  with  crowns  upon  their  heads." 

To  the  young  men  he  said  : 

"Be  joyful;  leave  sorrow  to  those  who  are 
happy  in  the  world." 

Thus  traversing  the  front  of  his  filial  army, 
he  scattered  exhortation  broadcast.  Paph- 
nutius,  seeing  him  approach,  fell  upon  his 
knees,  torn  between  fear  and  hope. 

"  Father !  father ! "  he  cried  in  his  anguish, 
"  come  to  my  aid,  for  I  perish.  I  gave  to 
God  the  soul  of  Thais.  I  have  dwelt  upon 


246  THAIS 

the  top  of  a  column  and  in  a  tomb.  My 
forehead,  always  on  the  earth,  has  become  as 
hard  as  a  camel's  knee.  But  God  has  de- 
parted from  me.  Bless  me,  father,  and  I  shall 
be  saved  ;  shake  the  hyssop,  and  I  shall  be 
washed  and  shine  as  the  snow." 

Anthony  did  not  reply.  He  cast  upon  the 
monks  of  Antinoe  that  glance  which  none 
could  withstand.  Letting  his  eyes  rest  upon 
Paul,  called  the  Simple,  he  considered  him 
long,  and  then  signed  to  him  to  approach. 
As  everyone  was  astounded  at  trie  saint  ad- 
dressing a  man  deprived  of  his  senses,  Anthony 
said  : 

"  God  has  granted  this  man  more  grace 
than  any  of  you.  Lift  your  eyes,  my  son 
Paul,  and  tell  us  what  you  see  in  the  sky." 

Paul  the  Simple  raised  his  eyes ;  his  face 
shone,  and  his  tongue  was  loosed. 

"  I  see  in  the  sky  a  bed  adorned  with 
hangings  of  purple  and  gold.  Around  it  three 
virgins  vigilantly  watch,  to  see  that  no  soul 
approaches  it,  except  the  elect  for  whom  it 
is  destined." 

Believing  this  bed  to  be  the  symbol  of  his 
glorification,  Paphnutius  was  already  returning 
thanks  to  God.  But  Anthony  signed  to  him 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  247 

to  be  silent  and  listen  to  Paul,  who  murmured 
in  ecstasy : 

"  The  three  virgins  speak  to  me  ;  they  say 
to  me :  '  A  saint  is  about  to  leave  the  earth  ; 
Thai's  of  Alexandria  is  about  to  die.  We 
have  set  up  the  bed  of  her  glory,  for  we  are 
her  virtues  :  Faith,  Fear,  and  Love.' " 

Anthony  asked  : 

"  Sweet  child,  what  more  do  you  see  ?  "  Paul 
vainly  gazed  from  Zenith  to  Nadir,  from  sun- 
set to  sunrise,  when  suddenly  his  eyes  met 
the  priest  of  Antinoe.  A  holy  fear  paled 
his  face,  and  his  eyes  reflected  invisible 
flames. 

"  I  see,"  he  murmured,  "  three  demons  who, 
full  of  joy,  prepare  to  seize  this  man.  They 
are  like  a  tower,  a  woman,  and  a  magician. 
All  three  bear  their  names  branded  with  red- 
hot  iron ;  the  first  upon  the  forehead,  the 
second  upon  the  belly,  the  third  upon  the 
breast,  and  their  names  are  Pride,  Luxury, 
and  Doubt." 

"  I  have  seen  all." 

After  saying  this,  Paul,  with  haggard  eyes, 
and  drooping  mouth,  returned  to  his  state 
of  simplicity. 

As   the  monks   of  Antinoe  looked    uneasily 


248  THAIS 

at  Anthony,  the  saint  pronounced  these  few 
words : 

"  God  has  made  known  his  righteous  judg- 
ment. We  must  adore  him  and  be  silent." 

He  passed,  blessing  as  he  went.  The  sun 
reached  the  horizon,  enveloping  it  in  glory, 
and  his  shadow,  enormously  increased  by 
the  sky's  favour,  stretched  out  behind  him 
like  an  infinite  carpet,  as  a  sign  of  the  long 
souvenir  this  great  saint  would  leave  amongst 
men. 

Upright,  but  thunderstruck,  Paphnutius  saw 
and  heard  nothing  more.  The  words  that 
filled  his  ears  were :  "  Thais  is  about  to  die ! " 
Such  a  thought  had  never  come  to  him.  For 
twenty  years  he  had  contemplated  a  mummy's 
head,  and  yet  the  idea  of  death  extinguishing 
the  eyes  of  Thais  desperately  astonished  him. 

"  Thai's  is  about  to  die !  What  a  new  and 
horrible  sense  there  is  in  these  three  words  : 
Thais  is  about  to  die!  Then  what  need  is 
there  for  the  sun,  the  flowers,  the  streams, 
and  all  creation?  Of  what  use  is  the  uni- 
verse ?  "  Suddenly  he  sprang  up.  "  See  her, 
see  her  once  more ! "  He  began  to  run.  He 
knew  not  where  he  was,  but  instinct  led  him 
with  entire  certainty ;  he  went  straight  to  the 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  249 

Nile.  A  swarm  of  sails  covered  the  waters 
of  the  river.  He  leapt  into  a  boat,  manned 
by  Nubians,  and  there,  reclining  in  the  bows, 
devouring  distance  with  his  eyes,  he  cried  in 
grief  and  rage : 

"  Fool  that  I  was  not  to  possess  Thai's  while 
there  was  yet  time!  Fool  to  believe  that  there 
was  anything  in  the  world  but  her  !  Madman  ! 
I  have  thought  of  God,  of  my  soul's  safety, 
of  eternal  life,  as  if  all  that  counted  for  any- 
thing after  seeing  Thai's.  Why  did  I  not 
perceive  that  eternal  happiness  was  in  one 
alone  of  this  woman's  kisses,  that  without 
her  life  has  no  sense,  and  is  only  a  bad 
dream  ?  Stupid,  you  saw  her,  and  yet  de- 
sired possessions  in  another  world !  Coward, 
you  saw  her,  and  feared  God  !  God  !  Heaven  ! 
What  is  that,  and  what  have  they  to  offer 
worth  the  least  part  of  what  she  would  have 
given  you?  O  lamentable  madman,  who 
sought  divine  goodness  elsewhere  than  upon 
the  lips  of  Thais !  What  hand  was  over  your 
eyes?  Cursed  be  the  man  who  blinded  you 
then !  You  might  have  bought  for  the  price 
of  damnation  a  moment  of  her  love,  and  you 
have  not  done  so.  She  opened  to  you  her 
arms,  formed  of  flesh  and  the  perfume  of 


250  THAIS 

flowers,  and  you  did  not  bury  yourself  in 
the  unutterable  enchantments  of  her  unveiled 
breast !  You  listened  to  the  jealous  voice 
which  said  to  you  :  '  Abstain.'  Dupe,  dupe, 
sad  dupe !  O  regrets !  O  remorse !  O  de- 
spair !  Not  to  have  the  joy  of  carrying  into 
hell  the  memory  of  an  ineffaceable  hour,  and 
crying  to  God :  '  Burn  my  flesh,  dry  up  all 
the  blood  in  my  veins,  shiver  my  bones 
into  fragments,  but  you  cannot  take  from 
me  the  recollection  which  will  perfume  and 
refresh  me  throughout  the  centuries !  .  »q 
Thais  is  about  to  die !  Ridiculous  God,  if 
thou  knew'st  how  I  laugh  at  thy  hell !  Thai's 
is  about  to  die ;  she  will  never  be  mine, 
never,  never ! ' ' 

While  the  boat  drifted  with  the  rapid  current, 
he  remained  whole  days  reclining  on  his  belly, 
repeating : 

"  Never  !     Never  !     Never  !  " 

Then  at  the  idea  that  she  had  given  herself, 
and  not  to  him,  that  s.he  had  scattered  over 
the  world  waves  of  love,  and  that  he  had  not 
moistened  his  lips  in  them,  he  stood  fiercely 
up,  and  howled  with  grief.  He  tore  his  breast 
with  his  nails,  and  bit  the  flesh  of  his  arms. 
He  thought : 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  251 

"  Could  I  but  kill  all  those  she  has  loved." 
The  idea  of  this  slaughter  filled  him  with 
delightful  fury.  He  meditated  devouring  Nicias 
slowly,  leisurely,  as  he  looked  deep  into  his 
eyes.  Then  his  fury  suddenly  left  him.  He 
wept  and  sobbed.  He  became  weak  and 
gentle.  An  unknown  tenderness  softened  his 
soul.  A  desire  seized  him  to  throw  himself 
upon  the  neck  of  the  companion  of  his  youth 
and  say  to  him  :  "  Nicias,  I  love  you,  as  you 
loved  her.  Speak  to  me  of  her !  Tell  me 
what  she  said  to  you."  Without  ceasing,  the 
iron  of  these  words,  "  Thai's  is  about  to  die," 
entered  his  soul. 

"  Light  of  day,  silver  shades  of  night,  stars, 
heavens,  trees  with  trembling  tops,  wild  beasts, 
animals,  men's  anxious  souls,  do  you  not 
understand :  '  Thais  is  about  to  die ! '  Light, 
breezes,  and  perfumes  disappear.  Forms  and 
thoughts  of  the  universe,  efface  yourselves ! 
'  Thais  is  about  to  die ! '  She  was  the 
beauty  of  the  world,  and  all  who  approached 
her  were  adorned  with  the  reflection  of  her 
grace.  How  amiable  were  the  old  man  and 
the  sages,  who  sat  near  her  at  the  banquet 
at  Alexandria !  How  harmonious  was  their 
conversation  !  The  swarm  of  laughing  smiles 


252  THAIS 

hovered  on  their  lips,  and  pleasure  perfumed 
all  their  thoughts.  And  because  the  breath 
of  Thais  was  upon  them,  all  they  said  was 
love,  beauty,  and  truth.  Charming  impiety 
lent  its  grace  to  their  conversation.  They 
easily  expressed  human  splendour.  Alas,  all 
that  is  now  only  a  dream  !  Thais  is  about  to 
die !  Oh,  how  naturally  I  shall  die  of  her 
death !  But  can  you  only  die,  withered 
embryo,  fetus  macerated  in  gall  and  'tears? 
Miserable  abortion,  do  you  think  you  will 
taste  death,  you  who  never  knew  life?  Pro- 
vided God  exists  and  damns  me !  I  hope  so, 
I  desire  it,  God,  whom  I  hate,  hear  me.  Cast 
me  into  damnation.  To  compel  you  to  do 
I  so  spit  in  your  face.  I  must  find  an  eternal 
hell,  in  which  to  exhale  the  eternity  of  rage 
which  is  in  me." 
iv«$"  :w"I  i£»>qqjs<ir>  aamphaq  bnR  ,j  aaad 

At  dawn,  Albina  received  the  priest  of 
Antinoe  on  the  threshold  of  the  huts. 

"  You  are  welcome  to  our  tabernacle  of  peace, 
venerable  father ;  for  without  a  doubt  you  are 
come  to  bless  the  saint  you  gave  us.  You 
know  that  God  in  his  clemency  calls  her  to 
him  ;  why  should  you  not  know  news  the 
angels  have  borne  from  desert  to  desert?  It 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  253 

is  true  that  Thais  approaches  her  happy  end. 
Her  works  are  ended,  and  I  must  tell  you  in 
a  few  words  of  her  conduct  while  among  us. 
After  your  departure,  as  she  was  shut  in  the 
hut  marked  with  your  seal,  I  sent  her,  with 
her  food,  a  flute  like  those  the  girls  of  her 
profession  play  at  feasts.  I  did  this  so  that 
she  should  not  become  melancholy,  nor  have 
less  grace  and  talent  before  God  than  she  had 
shown  to  men's  eyes.  I  acted  wisely ;  for 
Thais  every  day  celebrated  on  the  flute  the 
praises  of  the  Saviour,  and  the  virgins,  whom 
the  sounds  of  the  invisible  flute  attracted,  said  : 
'  We  hear  the  nightingale  of  the  celestial 
groves,  the  dying  swan  of  Jesus  crucified.' 
Thus  was  Thais  accomplishing  her  peni- 
tence, when  after  sixty  days  the  door  you 
had  sealed  opened  by  itself,  and  the  seal  of 
clay  broke  without  being  touched  by  any 
human  hand.  At  this  sign  I  recognised  that 
the  trial  you  had  imposed  upon  her  must 
cease,  and  that  God  pardoned  the  flute-player's 
sins.  From  that  time  she  shared  the  life  of 
my  daughters,  working  and  praying  with 
them.  She  edified  them  by  the  modesty  of 
her  gestures  and  words,  and  she  seemed  to  be 
the  statue  of  shame  among  them.  Sometimes 


254  THAI'S 

she  was  sad  ;  but  these  clouds  passed.  When 
I  saw  she  was  attached  to  God  by  faith,  hope, 
and  love,  I  did  not  fear  to  employ  her  art 
and  even  her  beauty  for  the  edification  of  her 
sisters.  I  invited  her  to  represent  before  us 
the  actions  of  the  brave  women  and  wise 
virgins  of  the  Scriptures.  She  imitated 
Esther,  Deborah,  Judith,  Mary,  the  sister  of 
Lazurus,  and  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus.  I 
know,  venerable  father,  that  your  austerity  is 
alarmed  at  the  idea  of  these  representations. 
But  you  would  yourself  have  been  touched 
if  you  had  seen  her,  in  those  pious  scenes, 
burst  into  real  tears  and  stretch  forth  her 
arms  like  palms  to  heaven.  I  have  for  a 
long  period  governed  women,  and  one  of  my 
rules  is  never  to  counteract  their  nature.  All 
seeds  do  not  give  the  same  flowers.  All  souls 
are  not  sanctified  in  the  same  way.  We  must 
also  consider  that  Thais  gave  herself  to  God 
when  she  was  still  beautiful,  and  such  a  sacri- 
fice, if  it  is  not  unique,  is  very  rare  indeed. 
This  beauty,  her  robe  of  nature,  has  not  left 
her  after  three  months  of  fever,  of  which  she 
is  dying.  As  during  her  illness  she  cease- 
lessly asks  to  see  the  sky,  I  have  her  brought 
every  morning  into  the  courtyard  near  the 


THE    EUPHORBIUM  255 

well  under  the  ancient  fig-tree,  in  whose 
shade  the  abbesses  of  this  convent  hold  their 
assemblies  ;  you  will  find  her  there,  venerable 
father  ;  but  hasten,  for  God  calls  her,  and 
this  evening  a  shroud  will  cover  the  face 
which  God  made  for  the  scandal  and  edifica- 
of  the  world. 

Paphnutius  followed  Albina  into  the  court- 
yard flooded  with  the  morning  light.  Along 
the  brick  roofs  doves  formed  a  string  of  pearls. 
Upon  a  bed,  in  the  shade  of  the  fig-tree,  Thais 
lay  quite  white  with  her  arms  crossed.  Stand- 
ing by  her  side,  veiled  women  recited  the 
prayer  of  the  agony. 

"  Have  pity  on  me,  my  God,  according  to 
thy  great  loving  kindness,  and  wipe  out  my 
iniquity  according  to  the  multitude  of  thy 
mercy ! " 

He  called  to  her : 

"  Thais." 

She  lifted  her  eyelids,  and  turned  in  the 
direction  of  the  voice  her  white  eyeballs. 
Albina  signed  to  the  veiled  women  to  draw 
back  a  few  steps. 

"  Thais,"  repeated  the  monk. 

She  raised  her  head  ;  a  light  whisper  came 
from  between  her  white  lips  : 


256  THAI'S 

"Is  it  you,  father?  Do  you  recollect  the 
water  of  the  fountain  and  the  dates  we 
gathered  ?  That  day,  father,  I  was  born  to 
love  and  life." 

She  ceased  to  speak,  and  her  head  fell  back. 

Death  was  upon  her,  and  the  sweat  of  agony 
crowned  her  forehead.  Breaking  the  dreadful 
silence  came  the  plaintive  cry  of  a  turtle-dove. 
Then  the  monk's  sobs  mingled  with  the  virgins' 
psalms. 

"  Wash  me  from  my  wickedness  and  cleanse 
me  from  my  sin.  For  I  know  my  wickedness 
and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me." 

Suddenly  Thais  rose  up  in  her  bed.  Her 
violet  eyes  opened  wide ;  and  with  far-off 
looks,  and  arms  outstretched  toward  the 
distant  hills,  she  said  in  a  clear  and  fresh 
voice  : 

"  There  is  the  rosy  dawn  of  eternal  morning." 

Her  eyes  shone ;  a  gentle  fervour  coloured 
her  temples.  She  lived  more  sweet  and  beauti- 
ful than  ever.  Paphnutius,  kneeling  before 
her,  clasped  her  in  his  brown  arms. 

"  Do  not  die,"  he  cried,  in  a  voice  so  strange 
that  he  did  not  recognise  it  himself.  "  I  love 
you,  do  not  die !  Listen,  my  Thais.  I  have 
deceived  you,  and  I  was  but  a  miserable  fool. 


THE   EUPHORBIUM  257 

God,  heaven,  both  are  nothing.  Nothing  is 
true  but  life  on  earth,  and  carnal  love.  I  love 
you,  do  not  die.  That  would  be  impossible  ; 
you  are  too  precious.  Come,  come  with  me  ; 
I  will  carry  you  far  in  my  arms.  Come,  let 
us  love.  Hear  me,  my  beloved,  and  say :  '  I 
will  live,  I  desire  to  live.'  Thais,  Thais, 
arise ! " 

She  did  not  hear  him.  Her  eyes  swam  in 
the  infinite. 

She  murmured  : 

"  Heaven  is  opening.  I  see  angels,  prophets, 
and  saints ;  holy  Theodore  is  among  them,  his 
hands  full  of  flowers ;  he  is  smiling  and  call- 
ing me.  Two  seraphim  come  to  me.  They 
approach  .  .  .  how  beautiful  they  are !  .  .  .  I 
see  God." 

She  uttered  a  sigh  of  pleasure,  and  her  head 
fell  back  upon  the  pillow  motionless.  Thais 
was  dead.  Paphnutius,  in  desperate  embrace, 
devoured  her  with  desire,  rage,  and  love. 

Albina  shouted  to  him  : 

"  Go  away,  wretch  !  " 

She    gently    placed    her    fingers    upon    the 
eyelids     of    the     dead.      Paphnutius    recoiled, 
trembling ;  his  eyes  were  burnt  up  by  flames, 
and  he  felt  the  earth  open  under  his  feet. 
R 


258  THAIS 


The  virgins  intoned  the  canticle  of  Zacharias  : 
"Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel." 
Suddenly   their  voices  died  in  their  throats. 

They   had    seen    the   priest's    face,  and  fled   in 

fear,  crying : 

"  A  vampire  !    A  vampire  !  " 

He  had  become  so  hideous  that,  passing  his 

hand  across  his  face,  he  could  feel  his  ugliness. 


THE   END 


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